


The Pure Omega

by PillowBites



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Harry’s a hellhound, Hellhounds, Louis gets lost a lot, Louis isn’t a hellhound, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pills, Strangers to Lovers, War, more tags to come, pureomega Louis, scent blocking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-05-21 17:06:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 94,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14919405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PillowBites/pseuds/PillowBites
Summary: There was always one strict rule know by all; Hellhounds would never be able to coexist with werewolves.But Louis Tomlinson always pushed the boundaries.





	1. History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anything’s confusing, please leave a comment! 
> 
> I’m more than likely going to come back to edit some parts in the first chapter as the book progresses.

Louis Tomlinson remembered the first time he saw a Hell hound. He remembered the screaming, the struggle, the horror on everyone's faces as soon as disaster struck. He could recall back to the emotional pain, and oh, how young he was when he first discovered what it was like to hurt. To hurt in ways you shouldn't at such a youth.

Louis could recall back to when he and his family were still together; he and his family were always the odd ones out when it came to all the others. He didn't understand at first when he asked to play with the other pups in the camp, only to be turned down within a blink of an eye. Or why he was never allowed to receive any food from the camps headquarters whenever they had feasts. He was too young. Too naive to fully understand.

Louis' small family lived in an isolated camp that sat along the mountains covered in trees. The camp consisted of all omegas and Betas, and the population was around 50. They were all caring wolves and because of their natural, they allowed the Tomlinsons to be apart of the camp. However, because of what Louis’ family was, they were forced to stay farther away from the others.

_“Why can’t we be closer? Why do we have to be separated?” Louis would ask, his bottom lip stuck out._

_His mother would smile and speak softly to him. “Our bloodline can attract many unwanted visitors, and to keep the others safe, we agreed to be out here,” she would say as she pinched at his cheek in a playfully manner. “Your father and I know how hard it is for you and your little brother, but it’s how we survive.”_

Louis’ family was to be separated at most times of the day. The only times they were allowed to enter the camp was to fetch water from the camp well or to join in with the feasts, but other than that, it was off limits to enter.

Instead of finding comfort in the middle of the camp and joining in with the pups, Louis and his little brother found fun in playing in the mud while the others played games with each other. Instead of eating food that was provided by the hunters of the camp, their family was forced to provide for themselves.

Their treatment was because they were pure Omegas - a bloodline that was so rare that it was thought of as a myth. Of course, there were pure Betas and Alphas, along with pure Hell hounds, but they weren't as rare. In fact, the only bloodline that was thought to be as rare as a pure Omega was the bloodline of a pure Alpha Hell hound.

Louis had always been told a myth that if a pure Omega and pure Alpha Hell hound were to create offspring, they would be as strong as anything that ever happened to exist. But did he believe it? Not quite, but again, others don't believe in the fact that pure Omegas exist, and Louis knows one hundred percent that they do exist. Louis was proof of that.

Louis was in camp with his father while he taught him to retrieve water from the camp well. He remembered walking past a group of older pups than him, and he overheard them talking about the situation.

_"Pure Omegas are the best to birth ambitious and smart offspring, whereas pure Alpha Hell hounds are the best to create dominant and strong offspring. Mix them, and you get something unstoppable," one of the pups had told the others._

Louis always wondered if there was any truth behind the words.

However, Louis did know that pure's were considered to be the perfect Omegas; or the perfect mates, for their bloodline wasn't touched by any others that were born into a family of Betas or Alphas. They were able to create perfect offspring's compared to other pure's. Their pups would be more ambitious to reach different heights and create changes rather than normal Omegas, they would mature earlier and contain more strength behind their frames. However, because of this, being a pure had more consequences than advantages. Pure's were so hard to come across that others hunted and slaved them.

Once Louis hit the age of ten, pure Omegas were almost extinct because of the demand of Betas and Alphas wanting a mate to create strong offspring. They were all forced into hiding, and when Louis hit the age of twelve, the only pure Omegas left were him and his family. They didn't understand how they went so long without being caught, but they were grateful to still be alive and together; however, at the same time, there were no others that their family could ever have the chance of meeting. It was just Louis, his brother, and his parents against the world. They felt isolated and alone.

Sometimes Louis would find himself blanked out as he thought about the pure Alpha Hell hounds - that's if there were any still alive. Did they feel isolated? Did they have to hide too? Did they feel alone?

Do they think about them too?

At the age of fourteen, Louis’ life was completely flipped around. It was just Louis and his little brother against the world; the only two pure Omegas left in existence. Not only was it the day that they had lost their parents, but it was also the day where Louis realized it was the end for them. For pure Omegas in general. If there was no other pure's to create offspring with, than there was no one to keep the bloodline going.

Louis remembered sitting with his little brother, Sam, along the back of a chicken coop. Sam was begging Louis to play Rocks with him, a game that they had created when they were of a younger age. It was like a game of dolls, but with rocks. There was a Papa rock, Mama rock, Louis rock, and Sam rock.

"I'm getting too old to play Rocks, Sam, find a different game," Louis told his little brother, only to get a pout in return. "Create a different game. I'm not of age to continue kid play."

"But Lou, I like this game," Sam begged, his small hand gripping softly at Louis' forearm and his eyes glistening from the hot sun.

Louis looked up at his parents. They were standing at the well in the middle of the camp as Omegas passed by, glares being sent their way. He huffed as he looked down at Sam. "Fine, but only until Mama and Papa come back from the well. We don't wanna be here for too long."

Sam's face lit up from where he sat in front of Louis. His small, toothless smile spread from ear to ear and his eyes squinted at the edges as he giggled. Louis watched as his brother picked up a large rock and handed it to him. Louis took it and looked down at it as he brushed his thumb across the smooth surface.

"You be Papa rock, and I be Sam rock and Mama rock," Sam told Louis.

"Now wait a second, who gets to be Louis rock?" Louis looked up from the rock in his hand and pinched at his brothers cheek. Something that he got from his mother.

Sam swatted his hand away as he looked around the ground, a small giggle escaping his mouth. His laughter stopped as his eyebrows furrowed together. He began to emit a small whine from his throat.

”What’s wrong, bud?” Louis asked Sam when he saw a worried expression cross his brothers face.

"I don't know where Louis rock is. But you can be Mama rock too?" Sam offered.

"Louis rock is gone? Why am I always missing?" Louis asked as Sam handed him over another rock. "Why do I always have to play Papa and Mama rock?"

Sam had opened his mouth to respond, but a loud, hair-raising scream had pierced through the open air that was once full of welcoming peace. Louis quickly pulled Sam into his body before looking up at the commotion, his hair falling in front of his eyes as he found his vision being directed on his parents.

There, in the middle of the camp, where his parents were earlier gathering some water from the well, was a large man. He couldn't tell what he looked like because the man was dressed in all black, but he looked as if he was pulled out from the medieval era and thrown into the present. He wore all black armor with a large, black cape that drifted from his shoulders and to the middle of his calves. He wore a black centurion helmet that hugged all angles of his face, and on top of it rested a long strip of what looked like an orange brush.

Everyone was retreating far from the well, their screams echoing and eyes wide with terror as they scooped up their pups and ran off into the nearby trees. Louis watched with horror as the man swung his arms around his kicking mother and hoisted her above his shoulder. She banged her fists against the back of his armor and yelled out for help.

"Mama!" Louis' voice cracked as he hugged Sam tight against his chest.

"I'm scared, Lou," Sam cried into his white shirt as he struggled against his older brother.

"It's okay Sam, I promise," Louis managed to breath out as he watched his father fling himself at the attacker. But Louis had a feeling deep down that there wasn't going to be anyway to save his mother.

His father was big for a pure Omega, but the man that stood before him was larger. He was larger than an alpha, but from his scent, clothing, and the orange stripe - that represented the colors of Betas - he could tell that the man was a Hell hound Beta. One that wasn't scared enough to storm through an entire camp and abduct his sweet, loving mother.

Louis wondered that if a Hell hound Beta was about the size of a normal Alpha - which was huge - then how large were the Hell hound Alphas? How did Hell hound Alphas compare to pure Hell hound Alphas? Were they twice the size? Third? He didn't want to imagine.

Louis quickly pulled himself back against hanging vines that hung from a large, wooden barn next to the chicken coop. He pulled them back, moved behind them, and let them swing back in front of him to keep their spot hidden. Sam struggled against him, his arms coming to wrap around Louis before he silently cried into Louis' shirt. The screams of the others were still echoing through out the open air and beating at Louis' eardrums. But he couldn't care. All he wanted was his parents to be safe.

"Let go of her!" his father screamed at the Hell hound, but his strength was nothing compared to the other. He flung a punch at the mans back, but it only seemed to aggravate him without any movement. He watched his fathers lips move in a curse as he held his hand. "Please! Leave her alone! I won't let you take her!"

"But you will," the man roared out load as he swung around, his hand striking at his fathers throat.

Louis watched the man lift his father up off the ground with one hand. He kicked and grabbed at the mans wrist, but no prevail, he was too weak compared to the Hell hound. Louis was shocked at the strength that a Hell hound can contain. If this Hell hound, who was a Beta, could lift another large man in the air with just his hand, what could a pure Alpha Hell hound do? Louis shook his thoughts. He wanted to jump out and save his parents, but the echo of their words kept him in his tracks.

_"If anything ever happens to me or your father, you don't be a hero for us. You be a hero for your brother and you run as far away as you can. You keep him safe. Do you understand me, Louis?" his mother told him as she tucked him away into his small bed._

_Louis shook his head. He was only eight at the time, but he understood. His parents made sure of it._

_"Repeat what I told you, Louis."_

_"Don't be a hero for you, be a hero for Sam and run," Louis repeated it, and before he fell asleep, those were the only words he would tell himself before his slumber. They were the only words he ever needed._

Louis closed his eyes and tried his best to breath in fresh air, but he began to shake and cry as Sam reached out towards his parents. His body jerked with sobs and whines, and Louis knew that if he waited any longer, both he and his little brother would witness the death of his father and possibly his mother. He couldn't let that happen. He wanted Sam to be a kid for as long as he could. He wanted to give Sam time, time that Louis never had to experience a childhood. Louis wanted Sam to be able to play the game Rocks and have fun at his age, not to sit back and have the vision of his father dying flash through his eyes every time he closed them.

So Louis ran. He ran with Sam clinging to his chest. He ran with his little brother crying out to his parents while reaching out for them. Louis ran until he could no more.

Louis knew that at this moment in his life he couldn't ever be the same. He had to make courage instead of find it, he was gonna have to go out by himself, at age fourteen, and find food for the both of them. He had to protect the both of them against creatures more than twice his own size.

Just being a pure Omega made the world ten times more dangerous for him. But he was forced to protect his bloodline and family. He had to do it for Sam.

Louis had to give up his position of being a kid. He was gonna have to force himself to grow up.

At this moment, Louis knew why he was always playing Mama and Papa rock.

❍ 7 Years Later ❍

Louis sat completely still in the night.

He had a wooden, handmade crossbow that was currently sitting across his outstretched legs, a pack of arrows sitting next to his thigh and in reach of an emergency. He sat in the music of the night with the screeching owls and singing crickets, the only thing coming from him was small, unheard huffs as he breathed in and out calmly. He didn’t know who was around, or rather _what_ was around.

Louis embraced the silence; it was all he really knew.

He looked up slowly through a small hole in the ceiling above him, it’s diameter the size of his own balled up fist. The space was just wide enough to allow any ray of moonlight to blast into the room Louis sat present in. His back was resting against a piece of broken plaster that was hanging off the wall, and he was surrounded by debris that fell from the buildings ceiling long ago.

All around him were old, detailed images of Hell hounds painted on the damaged walls. He took his time to study an image of an Omega, it’s tail between its legs and ears back, submitting to what looked like an Omega Hell hound with a snarling muzzle. Louis rolled his eyes.

“Idiotic Hell hounds,” he murmured as he picked up a small piece of drywall. He studied it before setting it back down quietly. “Thick-headed I tell you, all of them.”

Louis drummed his fingers against the dusty floor before he placed the back of his head against the wall. "That comment was your cue. You can come out now, Mr. Gilborn. I know you've been hiding outside the window, you're not quiet enough." 

A short time later, Louis could make out the silhouette of a head poking through the shattered window that was on the wall right next to him. Louis had to turn his head to the side to look at the new presence. It was an older Beta, one way older than Louis. He was clearly coming to the age of his late sixties with a long, graying beard that welcomed troubling knots and reached to his clavicles. His face was wrinkled and his eyes were red around the edges from exhaustion. He carefully pulled himself through the window, almost tumbling over from old age, and dusted himself off as he straightened his posture. 

"I guess I'm not good enough to pass your pure Omega senses," he joked as he watched Louis place the bow from his lap next to him before picking himself up. 

"Well, you're a crazy, clumsy man. You make noises that you can't hear yourself," Louis responded. 

And it was true. Mr. Gilborn brought his body forward in an attempt to hear what Louis had to say, one side of his head tilted closer to the boy and his eyes squinting as he tried to register the words of the younger wolf. Not to mention, but he was also an insane Beta. If Mr. Gilborn was placed in a pack of Hell hounds, he would talk their heads off before they could even raise a fist at him. He reminded Louis of one of those crazy scientists, one that couldn't ever relax and was constantly jumping off the walls from self-adrenaline. 

"Louis!" Mr. Gilborn yelled out as his eyes grew wide. Louis jumped from the sudden change in the mans volume and he quietly stalked forward in skilled silence."I'm in dire need to tell you of a new discovery of mine! It's world changi-"

Louis held his finger to the mans lips and shushed him. "Okay, alright. But be quiet now. You can't tell me this new discovery if your loudness brings marauders."

"Yes, of course," Mr. Gilborn rubbed at his calloused knuckles as he looked down towards his feet. "Excitement gets the best of me."

"Everything gets the best of you."

"I can't defend myself from your words, Mr. Tomlinson."

Louis smiled slightly before sitting down in his spot again. He patted the dusty area right next to him and waited as the older man lowered himself slowly to rest against the unpainted drywall.

"Tell me, what did you discover now?" Louis asked. 

"I discovered something incredible," Mr. Gilborn said. He reached into the pocket of his torn up jacket and pulled out a white bottle, the words  _HH Scent_ embracing the side in red marker. "Inside this bottle is a pill that can alter your scent. It only lasts a month, but if takes up to two hours for the effect to kick in."

Louis was offered the bottle and he gladly accepted it. He uncapped the top and peeked inside. The bottle was full of red gel-like pills and they had a strong, sweet aroma of what Louis guessed was roses.

"What's the difference between these and suppressants?" Louis asked as he screwed the cap back on tightly. 

Mr. Gilborn rubbed the sweat off his brow and pointed at the bottle. "Suppressants hide your scent, these pills manipulate it. You're a pure Omega, your scent is intoxicating for others and brings bad people to you."

Louis raised his eyebrows and made an ' _ah_ ' sound. "Yes, thank you for reminding me of my flaws. It's the highlight of my night."

"That's not the point here," Mr. Gilborn raised his voice, but Louis quickly shushed him. "Like I was saying, your scent is of a pure Omega, but what if there was a way to make your scent change so you were...safer? What if you were to smell like a Hell hound? Not just any, but an Alpha Hell hound?"

Louis was quiet as he thought about it. He furrowed his eyebrows before looking between the older man and the bottle in his hands. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes," Mr. Gilborn was quick to answer. "I didn't think it was, but you see, it is. I was out late at night, looking for more herbs to experiment with when I tripped over something. Now Louis, you know me old man senses, I couldn't smell a damn thing. So I turned around and saw something that I'd never thought I'd see in my life. A dead Alpha Hell hound. What can kill one of those things? Man, I don't have one single clue."

Louis shook his head to show that he was listening. The old man had his full attention. 

"But I thought of something. Hell hounds have scent glands under the skin, correct? I thought, what if I was to remove these and use ‘em as an ingredient for making pills? And you know what I did? I did just that. They were the easiest pills I made, but it's hard to get the materials for it," he told Louis. "That bottle is just one of three that I got. I wanted to give it to you."

"You got three bottles from just one Hell hound?" Louis asked. Mr. Gilborn shook his head, a smile fading onto his face. 

"I tried them out too. I took one and within two hours I felt like I could run miles, more than I could when I was your age. It was like taking a breath of fresh air that you ain't ever breathed before."

Louis scanned the bottle over and thought of all the possibilities that these pills could give him. With these, he could hide his pure scent and venture out more without fear. The suppressants he took were barely strong enough to contain the way he smelled to others, but maybe these were stronger. "Have you been by any Hell hounds with these?"

Mr. Gilborn shook his head, his beard bouncing as he did. "I ain't ever seen one outside their territory, so I traveled to their border. I saw one, and let me tell you, they're one scary sons of guns. This man was just a Beta, and he stood twice my size. He saw me and didn't even flinch at me scent. He just pointed, asked what I was doing outside the border, and I told 'em ' _I'm old and I don't remember'_ and he says  _'Go on then'._ The pills worked I tell you. He didn't try to kill me." 

"Really?" Louis was amazed by the story, his eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open in awe as he listened. 

"I visited multiple times within the first week of trying 'em. Every time, it happened the same. But I had to stop because the last time I was at the borders, I got so scared that me bladder failed," he laughed at himself, but his eyes never meet Louis'.

"No way. Mr. Gilborn being scared? I never thought I'd hear those words. What happened that you made yourself so scared?" Louis questioned. 

Mr. Gilborn turned to look at Louis, his brown eyes hooded over and dull. "I've seen the leader at the edge of the territory. He was with some of his members, I think they were hunters. But I go up to the line, not seeing the leader, and one of them asks what I was doing. I said the same thing I did the first time, but instead of the lad responding to me, a man stepped out from behind them."

He paused and took a deep breath. Louis didn't push for him to continue as he waited. He let the man put himself together. 

"Louis, this man wasn't just a man. He was a pure Alpha Hell hound. I ain't ever seen one before, and I didn't even know they was real. He was a scary fella, and everything about him just rang power and danger. His movements, his voice, his scent. He could've crushed my head with his finger if he really wanted to. He asked me what I was doing, and I was completely silent because of the shock of seeing such a creature. I couldn't move, but he sent me on my own way and away from the border."

Louis was too shocked to even listen to the last part. A pure Alpha Hell hound was seen in flesh and blood? Louis turned quickly to the older lad with wide eyes and shaky breaths. 

"Tell me more about the leader. What was he like? Do you remember?" Louis asked.

Mr. Gilmore laughed silently and patted Louis' shoulder. "You don't forget a man like that. All I can tell you was that he was ten times scarier than a normal Alpha Hell hound, and they're pretty scary. Oh, I also heard one of the guards call out to him. His name was Henry? Harry? Harold? Something along those lines, but I didn't dare stay any longer in fear of the man ripping my throat out."

Louis shook his head as his way of showing that he understood. He remembered back to when he first saw the Hell hound Beta and how much fear had ran through him at just the sight. Knowing that a creature twice the size was walking the same grounds Louis was, was absolutely terrifying. 

"Anyways, I ain't got all night," Mr. Gilborn reached into his other pocket and pulled out a smaller bottle, one that Louis realized was his suppressants. He took the bottle and thanked the old man. "It's safe to take 'em both together, don't worry."

Louis gave him a small, tight lipped smile and stood up as Mr. Gilborn did. He helped haul the man up from his position, the mans back cracking in the process, and he helped him squeeze back through the window he entered earlier. Once he was to the other side, the older man looked at him, his eyes sad and heavy through the dark night.

"I didn't want to bring this up, but I can't pretend that I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry for your loss, Louis. Your brother would've been a fine man. But we both know this life would've been too hard on him. Wherever he is, he's with your parents. He's home and running in a field full of roses and not having to worry about what's around every corner. To go through life alone with the scars you have takes courage, especially in a time like this where war is around every corner. You're a brave man, Louis, and if I was to be honest, no pure Alpha Hell hound could ever stand a chance against a god damn pure Omega."

They were both quiet as Louis let out a shaky breath and looked away. When he found the courage to look back, he gave the man a forced smile. 

“When do you plan on ridding of his body?” Mr. Gilborn asked. 

It was hard for Louis to be asked that. He flinched and clenched his teeth together before providing an answer. “Tomorrow night. At the sea.”

The man shook his head and gave a comforting pat on Louis’ shoulder. “Well, good luck, Louis.”

And with that, Mr. Gilborn had flocked away from the window and disappeared into the night, leaving Louis to be completely alone.

He looked down at both of the bottles, his mind racing with different thoughts before he forced himself to open each bottle. He picked out one pill from each, his hands shaking uncontrollably, and hesitated before he threw his head back to swallow them whole. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	2. Changes

It was hard for Louis to concentrate on the task at hand. His cheeks were glistening from fresh tears that shone against the moonlight, and the sounds of the ocean roared against his ears as his head hung between his shoulders. He tightened his hands against the edge of the wooden canoe that he took days to search for, his knuckles turning white from his grip.

“You deserve better than this, Sam. I’m so sorry,” Louis whispered under his breath as he picked his head up and threw his shoulders back.

"God, I shouldn't have left you. Alphas suck, right?" Louis laughed, but it quickly faded when no other laughter accompanied his. "I'm gonna find every last one, and I'm gonna kill them. I swear." 

He had to stop himself from continuing. His cheeks were stained and his face was scrunched up from trying to stop any escaping tears. The edges of his eyes were red and he kept his head low in shame, not even bothering to glance at the wrapped up corpse that was lying inside the canoe.

Louis huffed out and continued to drive all his force into moving the canoe forward. The sand around his toes were cold in the night and he wiggled them as he moved to press his back against the wood. He dug his heels into the sand and tried with all his might to move the large object.

"I always thought we were both gonna get taken out by a Hell hound, not some  _Alpha,_ " Louis felt his blood boil, but it didn't last long for him.

Once he found the canoe halfway in the water, he rested against the edge of the wood and glanced at the corpse of his brother inside. He wanted to see him one last time, to be in his brothers presence before he sent him off. Being with his brother - dead or not - made him feel like he had someone with him, but after today, he was officially going to be all by himself.

Louis' eyes were darker than usual and a puddle of water collected at his waterline. He threw his head back, a large, sobbing whine escaping through his mouth as he tried to hold his emotions in.

“Be brave Louis,” he told himself. He positioned himself back against the end of the canoe that still sat in the cold sand, his lips moving in an attempt to whisper words of encouragement. All he needed was one last push.

_“If you can’t be a damn hero for Sam, be one for yourself.”_

_“Find the strength to give this thing one last push. Come on, Louis.”_

_“You’re stronger than this.”_

With one last push, Louis felt the heaviness lift from his shoulders as the canoe fell swiftly into the water. He tumbled backwards and felt the sand around him bounce at the impact, causing some to get into Louis' mouth and eyes. The canoe rocked before it balanced, and he noticed that there were no waves to drive it back onto the shore. 

For the rest of the night it was quiet, and so was Louis as he plopped down onto the sand. His knees hit the ground first, and his bottom fell back onto his heels as strands of his hair dangled into his face. His eyes followed the slow motions of the small boat, and he stayed on the shore until he couldn’t face the sight any longer. He picked himself up while scooping a handful of sand, letting it slip through his fingers as he walked, and found a small space between two large rocks. He wedged himself in, having to fit himself into awkward positions before finding a comfortable one, and looked up into the starry night.

He used to always find the sky relaxing, but that night, he couldn’t dare stand the sight of it. 

Louis closed his eyes to welcome slumber, but instead, he felt a sudden urge to run along the beach. He wanted to scream and yell, to punch the sky and shout names at the heavens above. He wanted to feel the sand between his toes as he ran along in the cold night. He took in what felt like his first breath, one that felt different from any other. It burned his throat in a good way and it felt clearer to breathe, like he had been sucking on a cough drop seconds before.

It wasn’t two hours for the pill to kick in like Mr. Gilborn had said, it was under about twenty four hours for Louis. but it was worth it when it finally hit him. It was the first time he felt at actual peace, and soon, he found himself in a tranquil slumber.

 ❍

 Louis awoke with a startle, his eyes flinging open as he felt a sharp, metallic poke at his cheek. His hand swatted at the object as he sat up as fast as his body could manage. He didn’t see anyone at first when he came to, until he heard a _thump_ from behind him. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked out into the sea, but his mind was entirely on what - or who - was behind him. Louis twisted himself to see the unwanted visitor, his back cracking as he did so. 

Behind him sat a man, his blonde hair messy and black armor shining against the sunlight. Louis had to squint from the suns glare to observe him. He had blue eyes that bore into Louis’, and the helmet that sat in the sand next to him had a yellow stripe along the top - the color that represented all Omegas. Next to him stood three more, all of their stripes of their helmets an orange color. Betas. 

Not just any. He had four Hell Hounds standing in his space, and he froze in his spot. However, they weren’t trying to kill him which meant only one thing; the pill was true in what it does. They thought he was like them.

Behind them was a female, her frame small and body skinny. She smelled like a Hell hound too, but her clothes were torn and dirty, and Louis noticed that she had a long scar traveling from her throat and down pass her shirt.

“Yup, definitely not dead,” the blonde lad spoke as he picked himself up, his hand reaching for his helmet.

He was the same size as Louis, but the others were doubling the both of them. Louis watched the man rub the sand off of his armor before giving the pure Omega a friendly smile.

“You scared me with how fast you can manage to move,” the man joked while releasing a chuckle.

Louis quietly picked himself up from the rocks. He never took his eyes off him unless he looked at any of the others.

“Anyways, I’m Niall,” the man, Niall, told him. The smile was still resting on his face as he scratched the back of his neck. “Oh, and these three lads are Aeron, Fetsly, and Otak.” 

Louis looked between each of them. Not a word escaped his mouth, but he attempted to speak. Instead, his mouth fell slightly open before he closed it.

“Can we get your name?” one of the Betas, Otak, asked. 

Louis’ eyes meet the Betas through the black helmet, his bottom lip stuck between his teeth as he shook his head cautiously.

“Louis. Louis Tomlinson.”

”Ah, that’s a good name! Welcome Louis!” Otak excitingly said, the tone of his voice making Louis tilt his head in confusion. 

Louis never thought he’d hear an excited Hell hound. It never crossed his mind. 

”How do you feel about heading off with us?” Niall questioned him as he made his way around the rocks. 

“Heading off?” Louis almost stumbled in the sand when Niall entered into his space.

Niall flung an arm around Louis’ shoulders and turned to the Betas, his arm squishing Louis against his side in an uncomfortable manner. He squirmed against the other Omegas hold. 

“Yes, heading off. We’re scouts. We go out and find fellow Hell hounds to bring back to our territory. We have food, shelter, and protection. It’s better than out here with the disgusting werewolves,” Niall told him.

The three Betas shook their head as they all shared a loud, annoying laugh. Louis clenched his teeth together and found himself bawling his fists at the insult; he didn’t want to just stand there and accept the fact that these Hell hounds were using his kind as an excuse to sound more superior than himself. Louis crossed his arms as he looked down at the sand, his eyes trained on the others through long, thick eyelashes. He bit his cheeks and hoped to taste blood.

The blonde Omega pointed at the female across the rocks from them. “That’s Alice, a fellow Hell hound Omega. Found her in a tree and she agreed to come back with us. Why don’t you join her, Louis?”

Louis took a while to answer, his words being caught in his throat as he dismissed himself from Niall’s grip. 

“I don’t know.”

”Come on, Louis. We could use an Alpha Hell hound like yourself,” Niall told him, his eyes scanning his body before adding. “You’re actually pretty small for one, but you’re fast.”

So they thought he was an Alpha? Cool.

Louis rubbed at his arms before glancing towards all of them. They stood waiting for his answer, their eyes hopeful and searching. They offered nothing but protection and a home. Something Louis never found himself having. 

But he had to remember - they were strangers that just insulted who he was. But again, what exactly did he have to lose nowadays? Deep down, in the pits of his character, he agreed that his own kind were disgusting. Yet, he only thought they were because of the way pure Omegas were treated in general. He saw his kind the way that the Hell hounds saw them; tainted, flawed, careless.

“Yeah, okay,” he mumbled, and from the smiles on their faces, he knew they heard it.

❍

The first thing Louis noticed was the instant change of the aroma in the Hell hound territory. It smelled better, more pleasant than the air before, and he inhaled a large amount as he threw his head backwards. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alice throw a glance his way, a frown written over her face. He tried to cover up what he was doing by pretending to crack his neck.

“Sorry,” Louis mumbled as he rubbed at the soft flesh of his nape. 

Alice looked away without speaking to him. Her hazel eyes were wide and she kept her hands tucked underneath her armpits. Louis observed her and noticed the veins in her neck that began to grow apparent from clenching her teeth together tightly. She looked nervous by the small glances Louis caught and the shaking of her legs looked unhealthy to him.

She looked too skinny and kept her distance from the rest of them. She hadn't attempted to make conversation either. Her skin was pale and her eyes sunk in, making her look as if she knew sickness all her life.

Louis opened his mouth to say something and brought his hand up to place on her shoulder, but he stopped himself midway from touching her. If she was distancing herself, it would be good to keep his own space. He slumped his shoulders as he dropped his arm back down to his side. He hugged his chest as he followed behind the others, his steps slow and dragging until they neared closer to voices.

Louis pulled his head up to squint at the new scenery, his head rolling on his shoulders from lack of not enough sleep. What Louis saw made him plant his feet deep in the ground to stop his stride.

"Alice, Louis," Niall turned around and held his hands up. "Welcome to the pack."

A small smile crossed Louis' face as he meet with kind eyes from passerby's, their hands full with baskets of various foods like bread or berries, and there were men and women with sheaf's of wheat thrown over their shoulder to carry. Everyone was walking along a large trail that ran as far as the eye could see, and all around were small, wooden huts. Farther away, Louis could make out larger buildings like barns, churches, and houses behind growing trees.

Louis was taken aback when he felt something brush against his leg. He shot forward and looked down to see a wobbly metal hoop racing away from him. A young girl appeared shortly behind it with a metal stick gripped in her tiny, dainty hands.

He turned away and watched as a group of pups maneuvered their way through the busy path, sticks held tightly in their hand as they hit at moving metal hoops. Louis took a step back before he could get in the way of another runaway hoop, the pup mumbling a soft sorry before storming by him, his stick high in the air as he ran while shouting for the others to wait for him.

"You gotta watch out for them little buggers, they always do hoop rolling in the busiest places," Niall spoke as he motioned with his fingers to continue following him. 

Louis obeyed as he looked around him and at all the small buildings. The trail they were walking down reminded Louis of his old camp and of when he was younger. His father made a path for him and his family to find their way to the camp, something he tended to every month to keep it visible from growing bushes and snowy days. But these ones were lined with rocks and stones of all sorts and sizes, unlike the dirt one his father built years ago. It was now probably overrun with weeds and bushes of the sort. 

Smaller stone paths diverted off of the larger one and ended at what looked like cone shaped tents. Niall explained that they were called _'tipis'_ when he found Louis squinting at them, his head tilted to the side as he observed them from the distance they stood at. 

“They’re warm and actually have a lot of room inside. Usually the larger houses near the middle are more for the authorities like the scouts, hunters, warriors, generals, and the pack leader. You only get a tipi if you’re new to the place or you’re just an average citizen,” Niall told him as they walked along the stone path. 

“So does that mean we get a tipi?” Louis questioned as he looked behind him and at Alice. “Both her and I?” 

“Separate, yes. Unless you plan to become a hunter, scout, or warrior, but you have to prove yourself to Harry. Or, well, Leader Styles. Only the closest to him can call him Harry, so keep to Styles,” Niall began to tumble over his words and scratched at the back of his neck.

Louis’ eyes widened. “Leader Styles? Harry? Is he a pure Alpha Hell hound?”

Niall shook his head before leaning closer in. “The only one left. It’s sad if you ask me. To be the very last of your kind.“

He could relate to Harry. He could feel his pain and his longing to not feel alone. 

”Yeah, no kidding. I can feel his pain,” Louis responded. After he realized what he said, he shrugged his shoulders and coughed into his inner elbow. He continued to ramble on as he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. “I mean, I’m not the last of my kind, but I’m the last of my family. They died because...I guess old age got to them, you know?”

All the lies. They died because of what they were, not because of their age. His parents were still young when they were taken from him, and so was his brother.

The blonde lad shook his head and placed his hand on Louis’ shoulder. “Well Louis, you’re here now. You’re home.”

Louis shook his head in understanding, pieces of his hair falling in front of his eyes. They began to burn from the feeling of incoming tears, the death of his brother still fresh in his mind. 

Yeah, he was there now. But he didn’t feel at home. Not without his family.

“So what do the scouts do? And the hunters? The warriors?” Louis attempted to change the subject.

”Well, the hunters tend to hunt for food, the scouts go out to look for Hell hounds to take in, and the warriors go out at night to kill any werewolves close to our territory,” Niall told him.

The pure Omega let out a small ‘ _ah_ ’ sound as they continued walking. He watched as a group of armored men and women, all red stripes on their helmet, walk out of an old, red barn in a line formation. They were all in sync with both step and swing of the arm as they marched by them. Not one glance was thrown their way. Louis was sure that wearing red was a sign of Alphas, he could tell from their size that they had to be.

”Are those warriors?” Louis asked when he arched his back in a way to watch them. 

“Yes.”

”I thought you said warriors go out only at night?”

Niall shook his head. “They do go out at night most of the time. The only time when they go out in the daylight is to look for a pure Omega.”

Louis stopped and caught Niall’s wide eyes. The Hell hounds were looking for a pure Omega? What for? Did they know that there was only one left in the world? He had so many questions.

“You’re lo...searching for a pure Omega?” Louis’ voice wavered as he was pushed forward by one of the Betas. 

He forgot that the others were still there.

“Yes. I don’t think they’re even still alive, but Leader Styles doesn’t believe that. He says he’s got a gut feeling that there’s still at least one out there,” Niall explained. 

“Why is he looking for it?” Louis felt himself zoning into only Niall. When he got shoulderchecked from someone walking by him, he didn’t even spare a glance.

”To make him stronger. Do you not know this stuff, Louis?” Niall looked at him with a tilt to his head. “The bond between a pure Omega and pure Alpha Hell Hound is the strongest bond there is. If Harry, I mean Leader Styles, was to find the pure Omega, we could win the war between us and the werewolves.”

Louis opened his mouth but was stopped from something behind him. He silently cursed whatever it was. 

"Niall?" Everyone turned around to glare at Alice, her voice weak and tumbling as she fumbled with her fingers. Her cheeks crimson from the blood rushing to them. "I don't think I should be here. I don’t do good with crowds."

Niall shared a glance with the three Betas and then with Louis. He made a sweeping motion to the others and pointed at Alice. 

He leaned over to whisper in one of the Betas ear, his voice low, but due to Louis' heightened senses from being a pure Omega, he could hear it crystal clear. "Show Alice where the exit is. I'll take Louis with me to tour the place. I'll also have to stop by Styles place too before I assign Louis his tipi."

Louis shared a glance with Alice as the others held a conversation, his smile forced into a friendly thin lipped one as they waited. She sent him a dirty glare in return and looked him over with a sweep of her eyes. 

As Niall turned back around to face Louis, his hand coming to pat at his back to urge him forward, Alice turned away from them for one last time. Louis furrowed his eyebrows at the female before he continued onward with the other Omega. He watched the Betas usher Alice back the way they came before forcing himself to keep up with Niall’s pace.

”I think there was something wrong with her, Niall. She should be checked out, not thrown out,” Louis told Niall as they stopped at a large opening within the trees, the amount of people around them doubling. “I think that was her way of saying she needed help.”

“What makes you think we’re throwing her back out?” Niall raised his eyebrow as he turned to walk along a path lined with trees.

There weren’t a lot of people on this path, but whenever someone was, they wore black armor and stern looks. Not one sent a smile their way, just a nod of the head that Niall returned in a power manner. 

“Because I heard you,” Louis retaliated.

”You heard me? Damn. Not only are you fast, but you have some great hearing,” Niall joked.

However, Louis didn’t find it funny. He felt a hand slap down onto his shoulder and tighten, only for the hand to belong to Niall. 

“I guess it’s time to go meet the pack leader, Louis, so turn that frown upside down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to upload a second chapter for today because of how many people came through in checking this story out. This chapter may be unedited, but I got it out to you guys as great as I could! Think of it as like a thank you gift! :D
> 
> How are you liking the story so far? Your thoughts?


	3. Leader Styles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe all the love I’ve been getting for this story. It makes me wanna cry. :)

 

* * *

Niall and Louis stood at the bottom of a large staircase, their eyes looking up and into a space where two wooden doors were propped open. Louis recognized the place as a church; one that looked freshly painted white and with brown tinted windows. The staircase had three large steps leading up to the doors, and on either side, tall bushes of grass stood up to the same height as Louis’ own waist. 

“Hear them?” Niall asked, turning his head to Louis.

He was in a trance like state. His eyes were focused on the doorframe of the church, body relaxed, mouth hanging open a little. 

Through the doors of the church came a wonderful melody, one that Louis never heard before in his years of his life. It sounded angelic, possibly inhuman if you were to ask him. He only heard voices, many voices, and soft music to accompany them, but there was no words within the song itself. Just men and women singing their hearts out with angelic tunes.

”They sound so well and I haven’t even seen them,” Louis was swelling with anticipation to go inside. 

”Yes, well, Styles usually spends his time in here. I’m sure you can sit and listen when I’m speaking to him,” Niall said as he began his trek up the staircase.

“Niall?”

”Louis.”

”Niall,” Louis looked up at the Omega, their blue eyes meeting each other. “What if he won’t accept me into the pack?”

”Oh, what are you about to go on about? He accepts anything that doesn’t smell like a werewolf,” Niall said matter-of-factly.

”Except for the pure Omega.”

”Well, yes, but that’s the only exception that Styles would make.”

Louis took a step closer to Niall. “If he was to find it...what would he do to it?”

Niall crossed his arms and leaned against the railing of the church steps. His gaze pierced Louis, his eyes searching the pure Omegas for a sign of distress - something that was radiating off him ever since mentioning the pack leader.

”Mate with it? Bond with it? Breed with it?” Niall shrugged his shoulders. “But you see, Styles has a mate. They haven’t bonded yet and everyone thinks that it won’t happen either, too many people have tried to get him to settle down a bit, to enjoy his life and focus more on his pack, but they clearly got nowhere.”

Niall paused to let out a sigh, his stomach rumbling in the process before he continued with what he was saying. “The man’s too focused on the pure Omega to let others get the best of him. So yeah, I think he’s trying to save himself for when we find it. The man’s got patience, I give him that.”

”He has a mate?” Louis felt a tinge of jealousy soar in his character. Out of all the things Niall said, his mind focused on that bit.

He hasn’t even meet the man and here he stood, feeling feelings that he’s sure he never felt before. Emotions that he doesn’t like.

Niall shook his head. “She’s from another Hell hound pack in the South and her father, who’s the leader, is about to pass away. He’s gettin’ there. Styles agreed to take her in as a mate, but we all know what happens - it’s not the first time, and probably not the last.”

”What will he do to her?”

”He’ll bring her to their bonding ceremony, which is when her father will give his land out to Styles, and when the time comes afterwards to seal them together as one, he’ll throw the poor soul out into the wildness without a thought of thinking that it’s the wrong thing to do. Then he’ll probably slit her fathers throat and that’ll be the end of it.”

”So he just wants her fathers land?” Louis asked. 

“Technically speaking, yes.”

”Why doesn’t he just, I don’t know, fight for it?” 

Niall shrugged his shoulders again, his lips coming out to resemble a ducks beak. “Not sure, I think he just likes the thrill? He’s told me he can’t stand intimidatingly touching - or being touched - by something other than a pure Omega.”

Louis felt sad for the man, even after hearing what he did to his mates - make them think of having a future with the man everyone must want, only to be thrown out on the best night of your life. He must’ve dedicated his other life to searching for a pure Omega, and when Styles gets close enough, he wouldn’t even know of it. Louis would be under his nose the whole time, and he felt a self-victory taint over him.

”What made you so giddy?” Niall asked him from where he stood looking down at him.

”What?”

”You're randomly smiling. What’s gotten in your pants now?”

”Shut up, Niall,” Louis told the blonde lad who smiled in return. 

“Follow me, mister Alpha,” Niall laughed and turned to go up the large stairs. Louis followed suit, careful not to trip over the steps and make a fool of himself.

The music that escaped from Louis’ mind came flooding back once he realized they were entering into the church. There were candles lining the entire walls, providing a warm glow against the brown, wooden walls. Large paintings of Hell hounds were apparent everywhere you looked, and the seats were all lined up in the room to face a large stage. Behind it was a statue of a stone man, his body built strong and in a fighting position. His hands were held up as if he were to throw a punch, but the lower half of his body had been uncarved and left into a large slabe of stone. Louis wondered what it could’ve looked like finished, or who had done the work. It was beautiful, capturing about every detail that even Louis could see from far away.

There, in front of the statue and on the stage, was a group of men and women wearing white robes and singing their hearts out to only one witness - a shirtless man sitting hunched over in the aisle between the seats, his body leaning forward to look at papers spread all around him and on the floor. He had brown, soft looking hair that was styled upwards into a quiff, making Louis want to run his fingers swiftly through it.

His smell hit Louis like he hit a wall; his knees felt suddenly weak and his mouth started to water every time he breathed in. He smelled of cinnamon, roses, pumpkin, strawberry. Louis couldn’t pick out an individual smell, but he found himself liking all of it.

Louis stopped midway from the pure Alpha Hell hound, his eyes zoning into Niall’s figure as he made his way towards the sitting man.

”Harry,” Niall closed in on the alpha who sat working in the aisle.

He didn’t answer Niall, just continued to reach across for papers or scribble something important down. Louis watched the muscles in his back ripple under his skin, and he noticed that his back looked drenched in sweat from the small droplets that glistened in the lights of the candles. At the bottom of his back sat two indents, indicating that he had two small back dimples, something that Louis had on his own body and always hated. But on Harry, he found his attractive, almost adorable. 

“Harry, I need to speak with you,” Niall tried to speak over the singing choir. 

Harry looked up at the blonde lad who stood next to him. He hadn’t yet noticed Louis from where he stood halfway in the isle. 

“What about?” Harry asked, his voice was deep and rumbled in his chest. Louis liked it.

 “Leader Reddair,” Niall responded while crossing his arms in front of him. 

“Go on.”

”We passed by one of his scout groups today, they claimed that he was ready to hand over his territory once you were ready to accept it.”

Louis could hear Harry scoff from where he stood. “Of course I’m ready. I’d rather take it right now than pretend to love his daughter for another day.”

Louis’ eyes went wide at the insult, his gaze landing on Niall to gain his reaction, but there was nothing, not even a flinch.

”Understandable. But more land means more resources,” Niall told him. 

“Of course it does, Omega. Now what else do you need? I must get back to my work,” Harry motioned to the papers with a tilt of his head. 

Niall pointed at Louis, a smile plastering his face as he did so. He felt his cheeks heat up as the attention was directed to him, he wasn’t use to being the center of many eyes, and having the eyes of the leader of the pack on him felt like many.

”That's Louis. Found him while scouting. He’s small, fast, and has some dang good hearing. Don’t you, Louis?” Niall talked as if he was trying to show him off, as if he was a trophy that he found.

”Sure?” Louis answered as if he was afraid to give the wrong reply. 

Harry didn’t take his eyes off of Louis for a mere second. His gaze pierced him as he sat silently. Now that he was facing the man, he saw that he was beautiful, almost like a carefully sculpted statue that took years to carve. One that was finished, of course. 

“Louis,” Harry’s voice broke over him.

”That's me.”

”Of course it is.”

”And you're Leader Styles?”

”Correct.”

Louis didn’t know what to say after. He nodded his head respectfully to the Alpha before the man raised his hand, his finger motioning for Louis to come closer. 

Oh god. 

“Come here.” 

He obeyed. He was fast to, which made him wonder if it was just his inner wolf reacting to the powerful alpha, or just his obedience to get under the man’s good side. When he neared closer, the voices still singing in the background, Harry gathered his papers and lifted himself up. He completely towered over both Niall and Louis, his frame built strong and muscular. 

He wasn’t as tall as Louis expected; however he was as tall as a Alpha Hell hound, and he was built stronger than any being he’s ever seen. He was more lean and framed well, his body just screaming power behind it. 

“Louis will stay with me for the rest of his day,” Harry told Niall as he adjusted the stack of papers in his hand.

”I still have to assign him his own tipi. I have muc-“ 

“Niall,” Harry warned, his eyes dark and glare fierce. 

Louis and Niall shared a look before the blonde took a step back, bowed with a shameful head, and nodded at Louis as in saying his farewells.

”I’ll see you later, Louis.” 

And just like that, Niall sauntered away from the both of them and out of the large front doors of the church. His body was like an angel against the light, making him appear like a black silhouette, only to dissapear seconds later. His last saving grace was gone, and now both he and Harry were together. 

“Why must he leave?” Louis asked as he turned around to face the alpha. 

When he turned, he noticed Harry staring at him, his lip caught inbetween his teeth as his eyes scanned Louis’ face. He felt like he was being scrutinized or examined closely. Louis felt himself slowly grow uncomfortable in the situation. Harry quickly looked away and released his lip from the grip of his white canines. 

“Because something’s off with you and it’s driving me nuts,” Harry told him.

Louis froze up. He had to keep himself from reacting in a way that made him seem shady, so he forced a nervous smile that didn’t seem to last as long as he wanted.

“What do you mean?” Louis tilted his head.

“Your scent, it’s weird in a way I can’t describe,” Harry responded.

“Do I at least smell nice?” 

Humor was the only thing that comforted Louis, so he attempted with all his might to change the situation. 

But he also noticed how easy it was to talk to the Alpha, despite only knowing him for not long enough. Their conversation felt familiar and calming.

“Yes, but that’s not the point.”

”Then what’s your point?”

”It’s weird to explain, I don’t know how to describe it.”

”Then let’s change the subject,” Louis told him. 

“To what?” Harry looked amused, his eyebrow raised as his lips tugged up into a smile before quickly fading away.

Louis looked around the room to find something to talk about. Anything would work at that moment, as long as he didn’t have to worry about saying something off about his scent, because he knew within a doubt that yeah, his scent was one hundred percent off.

“Those papers. What have you written on them?” Louis couldn’t find anything better to ask. 

“Stuff that’s incredibly important,” Harry’s response was short and blunt. 

“So pack stuff?”

”No.” 

Louis furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the papers. “Isn’t pack stuff incredibly important?”

Harry shook his head. “Of course, but not as important as this...other thing.”

When Louis’ confused expression didn’t change, Harry handed the papers to him so he could look for himself. For being a pure Alpha Hell hound, Harry was much different from the rumors he had heard throughout his life about Alpha Hell hounds. They were ruthless, always angry and looking for trouble. Louis expected Harry to be like that, but he guessed not. And now here they were, with Harry giving Louis - who was still a stranger to him - something that he deemed important. Incredibly important.

He wondered if Harry was just being nice for the sake of Louis. Or if he was too trusting with the Omega. Unless Harry’s inner wolf felt for Louis’ without even realizing it. If a bond between a pure Omega and pure Alpha Hell hound was the strongest, then shouldn’t they feel something? Even if Louis was on suppressants and scent manipulation pills, and they exactly haven’t _bonded_ bonded with each other, there’s always that attraction to bring them together. There had to be _something_ deeper, something more meaningful. Louis felt a small spark at the thought, almost like a shock that jolted him. He wasn’t sure if Harry felt the same, but he didn’t dare even ask in risk of blowing his cover.

”Louis? Are you just gonna stand there and stare at the front page all day? Or are you actually gonna read it?” Harry asked him, a small smile on his face as Louis looked up at him. 

“I’m getting to it. Patience, Leader Styles,” Louis shot back as he looked down at the front page. 

“It’s Harry.”

Louis looked up at him again, but this time he was in sort of a daze. Niall said that only people close to him were allowed to call him Harry. 

He was sure that the Alpha had to feel something deeper. Harry couldn’t be this trusting with others, especially not new comers. Alpha Hell hounds were suppose to be ruthless. Pure Alpha Hell hounds were suppose to be double that. Louis decided; it was going too far. Harry was falling into him, giving him trust without even realizing it.

“Right, Harry,” Louis gave him a small smile before looking back down at the papers.

The first one didn’t have much, it was mostly blank but contained multiple dates written on it. It looked like a table of contents, and right next to each day was a hashtagged number. It started from one and continued on to the next page. He wasn’t sure what the last one was, for he couldn’t find it under the scribbles and dried, spilt liquid that morphed the pencil into an unreadable smudge.

”What are these dates for?” Louis asked as he flipped to the next page. More dates.

“They’re hunts. Or, I should say missions.”

”Are you searching for something?” Louis still didn’t look up, but after he said the words, he was sure of what Harry’s next words were gonna be.

“Searching for a pure Omega,” Harry told him, to which Louis didn’t find himself surprised. 

“Why do you wanna find it so bad?” Louis felt weird talking about himself like that, like he was now completely someone else. He felt weird referring to himself as it.

“Because my kind and their kind were made perfectly for each other, to fit together like a puzzle piece. To have a pure Omega as a mate is like having your other half, you’re _real_ other half,” Harry went on.

Louis could tell he was passionate about the situation. The way he moved, talked, and sounded confident in his voice made Louis wanna smile, but he held the urge to down.

 “So if I’m right, you catalogue the hunts? And you write what you find on each one?” Louis asked. 

Harry shook his head, his hair bouncing as he did so. When Louis started to scan over another page, he saw Harry’s large hand come into view to flip the paper over. What Louis saw on the other side made him tense up in an instant. 

Right here in front of him wasn’t just sheets of hunting dates or doodling paper. No, it was research on Louis’ kind. It was about how pure Omegas acted. If was about what they tended to lean toward in different subjects, how their heats/ruts worked, and so much more that Louis didn’t even know about himself. The craziest thing was that all of the information in his hands was all gathered and collected by Harry himself. It must’ve taken years, many years, to get pages of that kind of information.

Louis wanted to keep the papers to read for later. He didn’t understand how heats worked, not when he’s been taking suppressants his whole life. In fact, Louis hadn’t even experienced his first heat. The suppressants he had were holding the pheromones back and if he were to come off them unexpectedly, the surge of all of those pheromones could take over his body, sending his body into overdrive, or worse case scenario, even lead to death. He knew that from Mr. Gilborn, but being younger at the time, he didn’t care.

He just wanted to be safe. And because of that, the suppressants made him numb to certain feelings, or made him lack in wanting to feel an Alphas touch.

With Louis being himself, he didn’t ask why or how Harry got the information he had. Instead, he pointed at a section on the page and looked up at Harry.

”Pure Omegas prefer raspberries over blueberries for their breakfast snack. Bonus if you put them inside their pancakes or waffles,” Louis stated bluntly. He looked back down at the page and pointed at another part. “It says here that they’re shy, but they do make up for it with their humor. Give them more credit.”

He looked back up at Harry, who was staring at him in complete awe. Did Louis spill too much? Did he blow his cover that quick?

”How do you know so much about them?” Harry asked as Louis handed him the stack of papers back.

Louis had to take some time to think of an answer, but in the end all he could do was shrug his shoulders.

”I guess I just do. Heard stories from my dad about how he had a friend that was one. He passed away though, of course,” Louis added. 

“So you know some information on them?”

Louis nodded. “Just a bit more than usual.”

”Then help me. I want all the details, no matter how small,” Harry seemed excited, but his smile faded away when someone appeared in the doorway. 

Louis looked over to see Niall, his helmet in hand as he looked between the both of them. Louis noticed how quick Harry’s demeanor changed within the drop of a dime. He was all smiles and trusting one minute, then distant and aggressive the next. Maybe Harry didn’t want anyone to see him that way. 

”Niall, I gave strict instructions to run along,” Harry told him, giving him a glare that made Louis feel sorry for the Omega. 

“You have, but Sasha told me to fetch you. She needs to go over arrangements for your bonding ceremony,” Niall stated, not making any eye contact.

Harry growled in annoyance and tucked the papers under his arm. Louis put the pieces together quickly, Sasha must’ve been his mate. But not for any longer.

“Yeah, for the bonding that’s not gonna happen,” Harry stalked forward as he dragged his fingers through his hair. 

“Do you wish for me to resume Louis’ tour?” Niall asked as Harry walked by him.

He moved to give room to the Alpha. As he passed by, the height difference was clear. It was weird to see two ends of the spectrum standing side by side. To notice how small and skinny Niall was compared to Harry, who in return, looked like an absolute beast.

”Show him to the closest open tipi to town, the kitchen, and then to my den. That’s all he needs to know for now,” he stopped before looking back at Louis. “I’ll find you again, Louis. I need those details.” 

He sent him one last smile behind Niall’s back before turning around and walking away. Louis watched him disappear as he came to stand next to Niall in the church doorway, his forearm coming to rest on the frame as he watched in silence. That’s until Niall broke it with a laugh.

”Louis, I don’t know what it is about you, but I saw the look on his face. You broke him,” he punched Louis’ arm, who only raised an eyebrow in return.

”He opened up to me. He showed me what was on his sheets, even smiled a few. Is that normal?” 

From the sudden look on Niall’s face, it wasn’t normal. His eyes looked as wide as saucers and his mouth hung open to speak, but nothing came out until a moment of silence for Niall to find his words. 

“No, not at all. He doesn’t let anyone touch those papers. He’s a ruthless bastard that runs the biggest Hell hound pack known to mankind. He’s not some grown man that smiles or shares his personal belongings,” Niall confessed, leaving Louis to sag against the doorframe.

So it was true. Harry’s inner wolf was connecting with Louis’, but the alpha wasn’t detecting it, not in the way naturally at least. If Harry was to be aware of it, his cover was sure to be blown.

“I think I should leave,” Louis said after a few moments of silence.

His arms were now crossed in front of him as his shoulder was planted to the doorframe. Louis was trying to think reasonably. If Harry was beginning to trust him, there was a good possibility that Louis’ inner wolf would find protection in that, protection in Harry’s Alpha. He would want to stay, and if Louis stayed, his secret would be thrown out. He could hear the rumors being said now. About how a pure Omega was found to be close to a pure Alpha Hell hound.

Oh, how many people were going to lose their minds. It was the meeting everyone would be waiting for. 

“I don’t think that leaving would be a good idea, Louis,” Niall retaliated.

”Why?”

”Because I know Harry and he doesn’t open up to anyone. But he did to you within seconds of meeting, which means you’re special. He won’t let someone like that leave from his life,” Niall pushed himself off from the stairs and found his way to the bottom of the steps. He looked back up at Louis who followed behind him.

“So you’re basically saying that I’m screwed?” Louis asked. 

Niall raised his eyebrow and gave him a weird smile. “Oh, you’d be screwed alright.”

Louis punched his arm and looked away in a hard blush. He felt his whole face warm up and he tried to hide it from the blonde man. 

“I’m just kidding, man. But yeah, in all sense, Harry’s not gonna let the newbie leave. You’re stuck with us, whether you like it or not,” Niall wrapped his arm around Louis’ neck and dragged him under his chest. 

“Oh get off me you freak,” Louis pushed away from Niall, a laugh escaping from his lips as he did so.

”Hey, if I’m a freak, you’re an even bigger one.”

Louis didn’t even attempt to snap back at that, because deep down, he knew it was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penny for your thoughts?


	4. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! 
> 
> This chapter has some violence and vulgar language in it, so be aware. If you don’t like that, oops, my bad.
> 
> This chapter is unedited, also. I didn’t have the time to go back a second time to find any errors, all I could really do was skim through it. So if there’s anything that’s confusing or doesn’t make sense, please comment. 
> 
> This chapter might be a little short, but I wanted to get something out there for you guys. Even though I’m sure none of you guys are probably father’s, I just wanna say Happy Father’s Day to all the beloved dads out there! Xxx

Louis _felt like his shoulder popped out of his socket from the way his father had pulled him forward. His hand was wrapped around Louis’ tiny wrist as he flung him face first into the dusty gravel, embracing for the rough hit of the ground against his whole body. His knees and elbows hurt from taking the most impact, and he buried his face so Louis didn’t have to see how ashamed his father was of him._

_”Leave him alone. He’s only eight for crying out loud! He’s even bleeding!” his mothers voice rang through the open air._

_“Honey, now is not the time,” his father said as he grabbed at Louis’ scrapped elbow._

_He pulled his son up with force and helped him stand to his feet. Louis’ eyes were red with tear marks staining a path down his cheeks, the pain starting to get to him both mentally and physically. A streak of blood was running down his forehead and past his temples, creating a red path down the side of his face. He needed rest, his small body was screaming for it as his mouth hung open and his breathing was too fast to count. He was also thirsty, but they hadn’t retrieved any water from the well yesterday morning. They were getting low and he didn’t want to use any of it._

_”He’s not going to learn anything if I don’t teach him,” Louis’ father told his mother who stood worriedly in front of them both._

_“Babe, that’s no-“ Louis’ mother was interrupted._

_”When we are long gone and Louis is still standing, do you wish for him and Sam to be alone in a world where they know no defense? Should we leave them unprepared for a world that’s going to beat them senseless?”_

_His mother hit his father’s arm. “I can’t believe you’re talkin’ like that in front of him. You could scare him with that talk.”_

_”He deserves to know.”_

_”I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to know, I’m saying that he’s too young to hear this stuff. He’s only eight and you’re out here beatin’ him around like a rag doll,” his mother moved closer to them, making Louis scramble backwards and behind his father._

_”He’s doing fine the way he is. Right, Louis?”_

_Louis looked up into his father’s bright blue eyes, a sparkle of hope for Louis to agree with him. Only to prove his mother that she was wrong. Louis nodded his head before looking between the two of them, his arms hugging his father’s thigh. He heard his mother sigh in defeat, her arms raising in irritation before dropping them back down to her side._

_”You're teaching our son how to be a killer,” his mom spoke, her voice cloaked in a sad, lost tone._

_”No, I’m teaching our son how to defend himself from a killer.”_

_The next thing Louis knew was that he was forced away from his father with a push, only to stumble across the gravel and catch his balance a few feet away. When he was finally stable enough to stand on his own two feet, he watched his father dart towards him in a quick motion, a scream echoing loudly in the air as he ran at Louis._

Louis shot up quickly from his slumber, his breathing in short bursts and occasional coughing. The blanket he had was now at a pool at his waist, making his torso bare and cold as he put a palm over his racing heart. Sweat drenched his whole body and his hair stuck against his forehead in a tight hug. The heels of his palms rubbed at the sleepiness in his eyes as he slumped in his bed. He was a complete mess, but he didn’t care. 

It was quiet. From the sounds of owls screeching, crickets singing, and the rustle of leaves from rodents outside his tent, he still figured that it still must’ve been night. He heard no talking or saw any of the sun illuminating against the material of his own tipi. 

“You’re okay, Louis,” he whispered to himself as he leaned forward onto his elbows. “You’re okay.”

But deep down, scratching at the surface of his core, was a feeling that was tugging at him. It made his blood run cold. It made him tug at his hair and clench his teeth. It was strong enough to make him remember memories that he didn’t want to remember; parts of his life he wished wouldn’t haunt him in his sleep.

Something was off.

It was the same feeling he got the day Sam died. It was a sense of urgency. It was the sense that he’s done something wrong, and if he wasn’t quick to fix it, then something bad was gonna happen. However, the last time he had the feeling he ignored it, just chalked it up to a bad stomachache. But because of his dumb decision to go against his own senses, it got Sam killed.

He felt like he had to save something. Save someone, perhaps. But who? Mr. Gilborn? Niall? Maybe even Harry? Was it someone he didn’t know?

”What does this feeling mean?” Louis whispered as he looked down at his hands. He ran his thumb along the crevices in his palm, almost as if the answer was there and ready to give itself away.

However, even though he wasn’t expecting an answer, he got one. It just wasn’t the one Louis wanted; it wasn’t the one he was ready for.

“It means you’re feeling danger. You got heightened senses, yeah? Well, there you go. There’s your answer,” a feminine voice was outside of Louis’ tipi, one that sounded familiar to him. 

Louis didn’t answer. He sat as silent and still in his bed, his eyes never leaving the opening of his tent. He felt like someone was choking him, making him unable to speak out to who the woman was outside.

“It’s sad to see someone so distance from themselves. Hell, I know more about your kind than you do yourself,” the voice continued. 

Louis felt his body tense up under the statement. He gripped tightly at his blanket, his cheeks hollowing as he bit them with all his force. He squinted his eyes, crying out internally for putting himself in danger by staying here—a danger he was sure wouldn’t have come this quickly. He expected a few more days, give or take, but not even twenty four hours and he was already found out about. Who? He didn’t know.

”Wanna come out of that little tipi of yours, Louis?” The voice was taunting him.

He threw the blanket over his waist and shuffled himself out of bed as quietly as he could, his hands feeling around the tipi in the dark as he moved. Louis’ heart was racing every second that he looked around, his breathing becoming worse in fear of anyone hearing his attacker. He couldn’t find anything for a weapon, nothing, and the cracking of sticks outside his tipi was starting to make goosebumps crawl over his skin.

“I never expected Mr. pure Omega to be weak. _Always heard your kind could hold their own ground, but I guess not_ ,” there was a laughter that followed after.

It sounded like it came from outside the corner of his tipi; the same corner that Louis sat crouching in the dark, his hands skimming the surface of the ground in search of a weapon.

Within seconds, a spear had punctured through the material of his tent and came close to Louis torso. He was quick to think as he threw himself backwards into a roll, his body fast and flexible before darting out the only way he could go. When the noise of the flap of his tent signaled his escape, Louis ran quickly and into the nearest mass of woods for cover. He didn’t want to run into the middle of the camp, only to have people hear his attacker blasting out his true identity. 

So he ran. He ran like Sam was back in his arms. Like he needed to be a hero.

But Louis wasn’t. His role of protecting the ones he loved wasn’t his role anymore—it was just him who need protection, and running away like a coward didn't do it. His attacker _knew_ who he was. They knew who was searching for him, and they could easily find comfort in giving his identity away.

Louis pushed his feet into the mud as he began slidding along the muck, his hand reaching out to grab the nearest, thickest tree. When he felt stable enough, he ignored the pain from the rough bark as he wrapped his hand around each tree limb. He had to be quick, for the sound of rapid footsteps was beginning to catch up to him. His muscles buldged as he lifted himself up each branch, and when he was high enough to the point where he was hidden from the leaves, he crouched down and waited as patiently as he could. 

The footsteps stopped just seconds after, but Louis could still hear the cracking of twigs around him. 

“Louis, come on now. Fight me like a true pure Omega,” the female voice was now closer to him, only a few feet away from him.

”You wanna know how I know what you are? I saw you that night, pushing the canoe into the water. I heard you speaking, and I smelled you. The _real_ you.”

Louis heard a noise that sounded like a whack, the sound of leaves brushing against each other following soon after. 

“I knew you were a pure, you had that smell. Now you didn’t smell like an Omega, because I guess the suppressants really do you a favor, huh? But with the size you were, I could tell that you certainly weren’t no Alpha. You weren’t a Hell hound either.” 

The voice paused before it continued again, it’s location in a completely different place. Louis listened whole heartedly, trying to observe his mistakes that he had made along the way of where he was now. 

“Then, out of the blue, your scent just changed. That’s when I knew something was up—one second you were someone else on the other side, then the next you were one of us.”

Louis recognized the word of  _us._ The list of who his attacker could be shortened down quite a bit. The person was a Hell hound, which was what she had smelled like, but now she just confirmed it for him. Whoever it was, they watched Louis the night he pushed his brothers body out into the ocean water, which meant that he was being watched the whole time. Louis cringed at the thought.

“So you know what I did the next morning? I found a scout group—Niall’s scout group—and told them that I found someone at the beach. I wanted them to find you, to kill you right then and there for what you were doing. But no, they took you in. They _fucking_ took you in, you _son of a bitch!”_

Louisfound himself flinching at the sudden change of tone. He was still in the tree, his eyes focused below him, just waiting for a body to pass by for his moment to pounce. 

“Then in the camp, when they were showing us around, you were interested in the pure Omega. Then it hit me!” the voice rose into a high pitch, a laugh following the words. “Your size, your personality, the scent change, what you said on the ocean - you were the pure Omega. The last one! And you wanna know something? I _hate_ pure Omegas.”

A dark silhouette moved underneath Louis’ location, only to stop directly beneath him to listen for any sound. He held his breath, his eyes piercing the top of the woman’s head before he made his move. Louis dropped down from his perch, his body smoothly falling from the branch, and landed behind his attacker. He reached down for the spear in their hand before pulling them backwards by tugging at the collar of their shirt. His foot was stuck out as he tripped the person, their back landing directly into a puddle of mud. Their body was small and their limbs were constantly sliding in the mud at an attempt to crawl backwards. 

Louis raised the spear, his movements hesitant as he moved closer to speak. 

“And I hate Hell hounds, _Alice_ ,” Louis growled. 

He throw himself forward, his hand reaching to rest on her throat before bringing the spear backwards. One of her hands came to grip at Louis’ larger one before she threw her other one up in defense.

”Why are you coming after me?” he asked. “What have I done to you?”

”What have you done? Surviving is what you have done,” Alice began to speak, but he cut her off.

Louis furrowed his eyebrows as he scoffed. “There must be a different reason, Alice.”

”There is.”

”What is that reason?”

Alice laughed but it quickly faded when Louis tightened his grip, only to loosen it seconds after. “Tell me. Now.”

They glared at each other before Alice looked away. She was struggling under his grip as her eyes glanced at the spear head that Louis held in a position behind him. At any point he could end her life, but he chose to wait.

“There’s a werewolf pack. It’s as big as this one and almost as strong. They’re also searching for you, but only to kill you,” Alice admitted.

Louis looked her up and down. “Why? Wouldn’t they want me on their side?”

”No, not when Styles could easily reel you in because of what you two are. They don’t want that bond to happen, so their plan is to find and kill you. It gives them a chance to win.”

”Okay, but if they’re trying to kill me, why are you also trying? Are you helping them?” Louis asked. 

Alice shook her head the best she could under his grip. Louis scanned her eyes to detect any signs of her lying, but she seemed truthful and downright scared. He could smell the pheromones that she was giving off, and it reeked strongly of intense fear.

”You smell of fear,” Louis commented.

”Because I know who you are.”

“You do?” His tone was dripping sarcasm as he spoke.

”Yes. You’re Louis Tomlinson, you’re a pure Omega, and I know that they are forgiving,” Alice had changed her whole demeanor to begging, but he didn’t budge. “They love and care about others, and they don’t like putting their families in danger. They don't have an instinct to kill.”

”Correct,” Louis shook his head. “But you also know what suppressants do, right? They change our emotions, our scents. Make us people that we aren’t. They give us instincts.”

”Louis please. I won’t tell any-“

He cut her off by tighten his grip around her throat, his teeth clenching together. 

“You know, my father was killed by one of you. So was my mother. My father knew how to fight, but he didn’t even try to save himself when a Hell hound stormed into our camp and took my mother. You know what that tells me?” Louis asked, releasing his grip off her throat for her to answer.

She coughed and began to choke on air, only for her to break into sobs. “That your father wanted to die.”

“And he died because he couldn’t take it anymore. The way we pure Omegas get treated by people like you,” Louis could feel his blood boil as his skin grew hot to the touch. “I may be young and caring, but when you come after me, the last thing I’m gonna be is forgiving. I’m not gonna give up like my father and let the Hell hound win. No, I’m gonna hold my _fucking_ ground.”

And with one last push of Louis, he drove the spear forward and into the chest of Alice. She let out a small whine before it turned into that of a dying moan, the lightness of her eyes turning dull and lifeless within a fraction of a second. Louis pushed himself up and stumbled sideways, his hands sprawled out in front of him to examine her blood staining his fingers. He was still shirtless, the cold night brushing his bare flesh, as he stood there over her body. 

The worse thing was that Louis didn’t feel guilty.

He plopped down onto his bottom and rested his back against the tree he was in minutes ago, his eyes staring straight ahead and hands resting limply in his lap. 

He always wanted to forget this part of him. The part that was forced to kill others for all the years it was just him and Sam. He had to protect them both, and by the time Louis was fifteen, he had a kill count of over five werewolves. Of course, Alice was his first Hell hound, but it felt new. Fresh even. But he didn’t want to kill anymore. He saw coming into the pack as a way to escape, as a way to lay low for a while. 

But he guessed he was wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You got to see a whole other side of Louis this chapter. What are your thoughts on that?


	5. It’s Not Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking on whether to post this or not with how short it was. But then I decided to just go for it. It’s better to upload something than nothing, am I right?
> 
> I’m thinking about creating a Spotify playlist for this book. Any takers? Who would listen?
> 
> I love all your comments. Please, always feel free to leave your thoughts below, they make me smile. :D

Louis didn’t come back to camp until sunrise. With his hands stained with the blood of a traitor and his black jeans covered in dried up mud, he tried to make his way through the trees without being caught by any of the scouts or hunters out in the morning. The _last_ thing he needed was to be investigated as to why he was in the state that he was. He wasn't exactly the best at making excuses, especially when he uncomfortably stood covered in blood and grime. His bare torso was glistening with sweat, a curtain of shine rolling over his skin with every inhale and exhale as the sun broke through the trees above him.

He found himself jumping and tumbling over large, broken trees and protruding roots. Small, spiky burs were sticking to his pants and shoes, their origin of a certain plant that Louis didn’t know (but what he did know was that he hated them to his core.)

”Why must there be so many of you?” Louis murmured to himself as he bent down, picking off a tiny bur from his pant leg.

His balance was certainly off as he stumbled from the lack of fatigue—and because of the constant poking of the small burs against his ankles—something a pure Omega needed and valued over any other kind. With heightened senses, it made Louis more aware and energized, quickly eating at his high energy level to tire him. It was why they were known as the sleepiest between other kinds.  

Louis tried to rub Alice’s blood off on his pants, his nose crunched up in a cringing expression as he caught a glimpse of his hands. They smelled of a metallic scent, almost like rust, and burned Louis' nose as he looked away. The crimson liquid was now a darker brown, having been dried up between the creases in his palm, making the flesh padding of his human paw itchy and cracking under the substance.

To say that he hid Alice’s body wasn’t something that he found himself to be proud of at the very least. He took the rest of the night scoping out for any hiding place and took a nearby swamp for a win. It was just inches away from the pack's border, so Louis had to be quiet as he dragged and dropped her body into the water, getting his pants soaked just under his kneecaps. It felt uncomfortable, but the whole situation made him strain under the thought.

Louis hadn’t felt guilty at first, but when the night carried on and into the morning, he started to feel a deep sorrow for her. He even had an urge to leave her body where it originally was, just to have someone accidentally stumble across it and report it so the pack could give her a proper burial.

But he couldn’t let her be discovered. She had attacked him and went against her own kind. And for what? He wished he had given her more time to pop the question, but he wasn’t thinking when he was in the moment. Perhaps it was similar to Louis' situation; maybe she just had beef against Hell hounds and felt like her heart was fixed on the other side. If so, Louis could understand that. He wasn't a fan of werewolves and was staked directly in a Hell hound camp, so at the end, he was going against his own kind too. He and Alice weren't any different, and the only reason that she came after him was to prevent him from giving himself in to the Hell hounds. To prevent him and Harry from becoming powerful against a kind she felt she belonged to. Louis shook the thought away.

He wasn't sure what to think when it came to him being the key to winning a war against two powerful sides.

In addition to hiding Alice's body, with Louis being a newbie, the blame would be rightfully placed on him in an educational sense. The pack was, or seemed, to be a calm, silent one that told of no danger within it's own borders. Yet, it just so happens that when Louis joins the pack, a murder occurs just hours after? Louis knew he didn’t want to disrupt that tranquil slumber within the trust between others, all because a body had been found in the woods. It was that very thought that made him decide to conceal the body, especially outside of the border which is where she was last brought to by the Betas.

Besides for that, Louis also kept the pups in mind, leaving the key mental note that they were young and adventurous, and the woods were a perfect place for them to find a journey. Or a body of that matter. 

Louis took the back route to return to his tent. The way he took made the trip a while longer, but it was worth not being spotted by any early bloomers wandering around in the morning to cover whatever job they were intending to do. When Louis could see the small figure of his make shift home, his eyes immediately traveled to meet with the back side of his tipi where the small rip from Alice’s spear was located. The wind was decent that morning, making the edges of the opening flap in the corner to taunt him, screaming out to him as if he would just get the memo that being there was dangerous.

His mouth ran dry as he wiped at his sweaty brow with his forearm. After he was to dress and clean, his first job as one of the pack would be to tend the tear. 

❍

"Howdy there. I've been looking for you."

Louis felt a hand slap against his upper back, making him release a small  _huff_ in return. He looked up from where he was sitting in the corner of the kitchen, his blue eyes finding Niall's. 

The large, open window next to Louis allowed a breeze to drift through and run along his hair. His face was hot and the cold draft felt nice. He was sitting in the kitchen, trying to find a way to distract himself from last night. The voices of people passing by outside the window was his only form of distraction, and it was as entertaining as one could find it. One person had been complaining to another about how they ' _found Greg_   _in his tipi with another Omega'_ and how they were going to ' _smash his face into a brick wall'_. Oh, how pleasant pack life was, right?

"I've been here almost all morning," Louis told him as he looked back down at his food.

On top of Louis' plate looked to be a piece of meet hugged between two bread slices. Some lettuce and cheese were on the side of it, along with a small container of handmade ketchup and a bowl of freshly deep fried french fries. He didn't have the stomach to take a bite out of his sandwich, leaving it to grow cold on his plate. Instead, he just decided to munch slowly on his fries as he sat back to watch people enter and exit the kitchen. Some people stayed to eat while others left, their lives too busy to sit down and enjoy the food.

"Your sandwich is getting cold, lad," Niall pointed out.

In response to that, Louis pushed the plate in front of the blonde man. His friend took no time with digging into the sandwich--cold or not.

"Hey, I got a question," Niall spoke after he took a mouthful of his sandwich.

He wasn't looking at Louis. His gaze was directly at his food, his eyes wide as he leaned back to moan. "This is so good, don't know how you can just give it away like you did."

Louis laughed as he rested his elbow on the table. He looked down at his fry as he dipped it in the ketchup before glancing to look at Niall.

"What's your question?" he asked while chewing on the fry.

He waited patiently as he watched Niall take another huge bite from the sandwich, his attention completely lost and directed towards just the food. Louis furrowed his eyebrows as he watched, not knowing how the boy could take such an enormous bite. When he got no answer, he rolled his eyes and leaned forward in his seat.

"Calm down, Niall. Take smaller bites or else you're going to choke," Louis warned as he seized the food from his friend's grip. Niall watched in horror as Louis placed it back down on the plate, pieces of shredded lettuce falling from the sides and taunting him.

"What's the question."

"I can't believe you had the nerve to take food away from me," Niall never took his gaze away from the plate, which left Louis to rest his elbow on the table and lean forward, cutting directly in line of Niall's gaze. Niall sighed before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Me and some friends are heading out for arrow practice today. I told 'em about you and they wanted to meet you. Get you in with the group since you're new."

Louis lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head forward a little. "So you're asking me to hang out?"

"Indeed," Niall gave him a small smile. "You gonna come?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Niall shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you were probably going to be hanging out with Styles."

Louis looked around as he flung his hand outwards, acting as if he was carrying an invisible platter. "Why would I be hanging out with him?"

Deep down, Louis really wished he wasn't sitting down in the kitchen. Instead, he wanted to be near Harry and to feel his presence. His inner wolf was crying out, biting and growling through a cage that Louis had built inside him years ago. 

"I don't know. In the church he said something about needing details or whatever it was," Niall rubbed at his arm before searching Louis' face. 

Louis surprisingly forgot about that. He began to wonder if Harry had tried to search him out yesterday but couldn't. What if he came by when Louis was gone? His mouth went dry at the thought and he pushed himself up from his seat.

"Yeah know what I need? I need a drink," Louis mumbled.

Within a fraction of a second, Niall reached forward and grabbed at the edge of Louis' plate, who, in return, just rolled his eyes for a second time and couldn't help but hide his smile.

"They got good alcohol here. It's homemade," Niall commented as he wrapped his hands back around the sandwich.

"That doesn't help. I don't drink anything that can make me stumble. Wine and champagne included," Louis retaliated before he began a trek to the front desk where there was luckily no line.

He ordered two free waters in plastic cups and received them quickly by the quiet female Beta behind the counter, their hands brushing before he noticed a small blush creep upon the girls face. Her eyes never left Louis' as she gave him a final flirty smile. Louis, however, didn't give it much thought though. He just chalked it up to her being a little  _too friendly._ Either way, he gave her a neutral smile and headed back to where Niall was currently still stuffing his face.

He set one of the waters down for his friend before throwing the other back to swallow the freezing liquid. It felt nice against his throat and moistened his dry mouth, making a sudden coldness cascade down his chest as he downed it all. He felt thankful to be able to just gather water whenever he was thirsty. Most of the time, when he was with Sam, it took them hours just to find a safe, open source of clean water. 

He brought the cup away from his mouth while letting out a quiet sigh. He was about ready to make his way back up to counter to ask for a refill, but he found himself freezing in the spot that he stood. Outside of the window was a familiar voice, one that he longed for deeply within the pits of his core. He turned his head, as did Niall, and watched as Harry stalked down the stone path next to the kitchen. His jaw was clenched as he stared in annoyance. His body looked rigid and tense from what Louis could tell.

A female had appeared behind him, her hands resting on her hips as she ran around his large frame to stop in front of him. She placed a small, dainty hand on his chest as Harry came to an abrupt stop. He looked down at the female and removed her hand by flicking it away.

"Leave me be, Sasha. I have leader duties to attend to," he growled, but she didn't dare move from his way. 

Louis put the pieces together and realized that she was his never-to-be mate. She was pretty, he had to give her that, and she smelt of an Alpha Hell hound bloodline. She had long, straight, black hair that reached to her mid-back and she looked to have beautiful green eyes from what Louis could see. Freckles dotted her perky nose, and her lips were pink and perfectly plump. A set of high cheek bones accompanied the rest of her features, and Louis felt jealous of her. She held herself confidently and didn't back down to when Styles commanded her to. He was intimidating, so he had to give her that. 

"Do not make me yell at you in front of everyone, Harry. But I will if I have to," Sasha argued her ground. A devilish look crossed her face before she brought her hands up. "Actually, I change my mind. I think your pack should be aware of the fact that you're  _using_ me for my fathers land."

Harry laughed at that. "I think you should be aware of the fact that my pack already knows this. Now move along."

Harry stepped to the side, only to have Sasha follow his actions. Louis brought the cup back up to his mouth to hide a humorous laugh, a small smile following along after. However, he didn't expect for Harry to hear it from the distance they were. His green eyes moved at a lightening speed to search for Louis'. Once their gaze connected, Louis turned his head quickly and dropped down onto his seat, his eyes wide and motionless as if he's seen something horrifying. Not only had he been caught eavesdropping, but he had also been caught laughing at a serious situation. 

He could only imagine the look on Harry's face right now. He didn't dare even peek one glance towards the window.

"I bet you he can't wait to get rid of her. She looks like a wild one," Niall said as he pushed his plate away and looked back to Louis. "You ready to go meet the boys?"

Louis didn't answer. Instead, he placed his cup down swiftly, crumpling it in the process, before stealing Niall's and downing it whole. When he was done, he dropped it onto the counter and slid out his seat. Niall was quick to follow.

 ❍

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important Note!!!!!
> 
> So this is gonna be a question for all you readers. I didn’t originally have this in the plot when I was planning because I didn’t know if people wanted it, but I wanted to give it a try. If a lot of people are in favor of this, then I can put it into the storyline. 
> 
> So my question is: Would you guys want mpreg in this story? Or no?


	6. The Game Is On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say I read this in one go, but instead I didn’t and now I’m publishing it without reading it whole and just in chunks. So, if it’s cringe, then I’m sorry.
> 
> BUT AYE LARRY MOMENT, RIGHT?

Niall pushed a wooden door open to an average sized log cabin, it’s location just sitting a few blocks from the kitchen. The wood the building was made out of consisted of shiny, orange looking logs, and the natural building material looked as if it had been polished. Whenever the sun rays beat down on it, it gave it a new, fancy satisfactory look. He wanted to stroke his hand against it, to feel the smoothness of it just to see if it was even real wood or not.

The windows were all closed to prevent a hot draft from coming in and ruining the cold circulation inside, especially on a 80 degree day. Louis for sure could feel his whole body burning from the temperature, having to wipe his brow every five minutes to rid of the sweat building up, but he chose not to whine about it whenever Niall brought up the topic of the scorching heat. His friend had red cheeks and his forehead looked moist against the light, making every dot of sweat visible from the sun. One thing was for sure, they were both ready to get out of the sun and bask in the coldness of the next location.

When they entered into the building, the first thing Louis noticed—besides for the nice cold air inside and the doors screaming hinges—was the amount of weapons that sat hanging up along the wall to his right. He looked them all over to get a glimpse of what the wall had to offer on display. There were multiple options for bows and arrows, the spears were made of different wood, the swords were of different lengths and steel, and there were other things that he’s never even seen before. One weapon that caught Louis’ attention consisted of a long piece of wood with a handle on one end, and then nails sticking out from the other. He cringed at the thought of what it could do. He didn’t want to be on the nail side of the weapon, that’s for sure.

”Aye, Niall!” a voice bellowed throughout the air as it was directed towards Louis’ blonde friend.

He turned to watch as Niall embraced the man who had hollered out to him. His hair was brown and short, eyes the color of the bluest ocean, and his skin was of a darker shade than the two Omegas. He sported a pair of jeans and a baggy grey shirt that complimented his eyes. When Niall broke away from the hug, he turned to point at Louis, a large, white smile painted along both of their faces.

“Louis, come meet Abdul, the packs Swordsmith. Abdul, this is Louis, he’s the newbie,” Niall introduced them.

Abdul moved swiftly across the small distance before pulling Louis into a large hug. He wrapped his arms around him in a way that made Louis unable to replicate the man’s actions. Instead, he just smiled and laughed until Abdul pulled away. 

“What brings the two of you here?” he stepped back, one hand resting on Louis’ shoulder, as he turned to Niall.

Louis noticed that the two of them never stopped smiling within each other’s presence. ”The newbie needs a weapon for practice,” Niall responded as he placed a hand on Louis’ other shoulder, his hand squeezing the bony area.

Abdul looked at him with a smirk, his blue eyes crinkled at the edges. He was taller than the both of them, his build also constructed stronger than a Betas. However, Louis unintentionally noticed the fact that he wasn’t as lean as Harry, that was for sure. Plus, from the man’s rosey smell and swift, calculated movements, Louis could tell he was an Alpha Hell hound—and I strong one at that. 

“Ah, what do you prefer for your choice of destruction? We got all kinds of weapons, and if one doesn’t toot the bell, it’s my duty to make one that does,” Abdul swiftly put his arm out to direct their attention to the wall of weapons. “Go on, step up closer to take a look.” 

Niall put his hand on Louis’ lower back to usher him forward. When he followed through the motion, his friends hand falling from the touch, and closed the short distance to the wall, he found himself reaching out to stroke the nearest bow. It was made of just pure, light wood and it was a smaller one, probably made for that of a teen. It also had no indent to where you were to place your hand, leaving it to be of a beginner bow. He had a fascination with bows, even to the point where he had created his own from wood and melted glass. Louis always wanted to go all out of his, even creating tallies along the wood for every werewolf kill he had. It was a little detail of it that Louis couldn’t help but show off to anyone he meet.

However, on the bow in front of him, there weren’t any details, something that he was always fond of, and he found himself missing his own handmade one. He tried to rack his brain with where he had last seen it, his eyes squinting and mouth puckered in deep thought as dropped his hand back to his side.

Niall and Abdul had taken up a conversation as they looked between the weapons, their voice fading away as they traveled down the wall and farther from Louis. He didn’t mind, however. He wanted time and space to chose his weapon, and seeing how many there were against the wall, he knew he needed the most time he could possibly get. He stepped back once to look at all the other options and pulled his head to the side, only to find himself looking the other way when a hand—that wasn’t his, mind you—found it’s way to a beautiful bow a few feet away. Louis looked up at the owner of the hand, his eyes traveling along the long, veiny arm before finding a pair of green eyes boring into his own.

”You know, Louis, I hate people who eavesdrop,” Harry’s voice hit Louis like a wall of bricks, his tone deep and serious. 

Louis tried to keep his mouth shut, but his inner self had forced him to retaliate, to stand his own ground against the brute.

”Well, I hate Alphas who hide stuff from their pack,” he said matter of factly, not daring to look away.

An amused look crossed Harry’s face, his eyebrows rising and a small laugh escaping from his slightly parted lips. He didn’t respond back to the Omega, and instead, he retrieved the bow from the wall that his hand was resting on and held it in front of them both, his eyes never bothering to leave Louis’. 

The bow had a darker, polished wood with two shiny, gray metal pieces placed in the curve of the bow where his hand would go. All along the wood were details of fancy swirls etched in perfectly and without flaw, and he noticed that the metal had carvings of what looked to be like dragons, Chinese dragons if he was to be specific. He studied it, taking it in before Harry nudged it towards him.

”I think this one would suit you,” he told Louis, who carefully accepted it.

He looked it over, his fingers dragging across the smooth, polished wood. It felt nice against his skin, feeling cold and comfortable when gripped in his warm hands. 

“Yeah, I think it fits okay,” he whispered quietly, his eyes looking up at Harry. “Let me guess, this is the part where I say thank you?”

He watched as two dimples popped out from Harry’s cheeks, a smile quickly showing itself from the Omegas words before it turned into a small fit of deep chuckles. Louis felt proud of himself as he straightened his posture, his demeanor becoming more confident with every passing second. He got the Alpha to laugh. To him that felt like an accomplishment he never knew he had.

”Actually yes, I think this is the part where the _newbie_ says thank you,” Harry answered softly.

However, before Louis could even open his mouth to even utter his next words, he found Harry quickly pulling him into his chest with just one hand. It was a quick motion, one that felt like it gave Louis whiplash as he dropped his bow. His body was now pressed tightly against the Alphas, something that Louis never saw coming. He could feel every curve, every indent and muscle under the man’s shirt. Harry emitted a low, possessive growl that tumbled and vibrated against the Omegas smaller frame.

Louis’ inner wolf began to tear at its cage, crying out to Harry’s in an attempt to rescue it, almost as if their rib cages were a wall to easily escape from and unite as one. He had to bite his cheek to keep from listening to the deep thoughts.

At first, he was utterly confused as to why Harry had done what he done, but when he turned his face, his cheek pressed against Harry’s pectoral, he surveyed whatever he could in his line of vision. 

Abdul was behind him, his hands up in surrender as he glared worriedly at Harry. His eyes were wide, body slumped and submissive under the pure Alphas stare. Niall was a few feet behind him, his eyes also in the shape of saucers as he backed up a few feet. Louis felt under pressure, maybe even scared at that point, but Harry’s hand found its way to rest between his shoulder blades and calm him down. His touch was like magic, making him melt against his chest in a submissive manner. 

“ _Do not touch him_ , Abdul,” Harry growled loudly, his voice low and possessive. He could hear the man’s heartbeat through his chest, it’s pace picking up within a fraction of a second.

At this point, Louis searched the rest of the room to see if anyone else was paying attention, but they seemed to be the only ones there—luckily. 

“I’m sorry, Leader Styles. I was just gonna touch his shoulder to get his attention,” Abdul spoke quickly, his eyes hooded and connected to the ground beneath his two feet.

But his answer didn’t calm the pure Alpha any less. It seemed to make him angrier as he spun around to let go of Louis. The Omega stumbled forward quickly, holding his hand out to keep himself from face planting the ground as he fell. His knees hit roughly, but it didn’t bother Louis more than the growl did behind him. A small huff escaped from his parted lips as he quickly turned around from his crouching position, his eyes quickly moving back and forth to gather what was going on. 

First, he saw Niall running over to help pick Louis from the ground, his legs moving quick and swiftly as he reached out to him. He then turned to Harry and Abdul, his throat tightening as his chest constricted at the scene between the two Alphas.

Harry had Abdul pressed against the logs, the weapons around him falling from their post at the impact of his body slamming into the wall. Harry’s hand was wrapped around the man’s throat, his knuckles white and hot as his jaw was clenched tightly, his jawline becoming more prominent and deep. Louis noticed the veins in his neck were protruding as his eyebrows were furrowed together to create a crease in-between them, his eyes low but piercing into Abdul’s angrily through long eyelashes. Abdul’s face was beginning to grow red under the cut off oxygen, his hands gripping Harry’s in an attempt to get the pure Alpha off. 

But Harry didn’t move a muscle or even flinch. He stood there, his body as rigid and powerful as Louis ever witnessed.

Louis didn’t understand as to how they got in the situation in the first place, but as he began to put the puzzle pieces together, he realized. When Abdul went to go touch Louis, Harry’s inner wolf must’ve reacted in a way to protect him without his mind fully registering his actions. To have another Alphas touch on Louis must’ve triggered something in Harry to the point where he grew possessive, even aggressive to the point where he felt it was necessary to protect what was his—or what his inner wolf _thought_ was his.

They haven’t even known each other long enough and here Harry was, finding comfort in Louis’ inner wolf without even realizing it. They weren’t bonded. It was just the connection between them—the powerful line that kept them connected to each other in a way no one else was. It was who they were, and who they were, were a kind made to fit perfectly together without wanting to.

”Harry, stop!” Louis roared with all his might, his hands balled into fists as he picked himself up quickly to face the pure Alpha.

But there was no sign of stopping from Harry. His intentions were blunt to Louis; he was never going to let go. Not unless someone pried him off. 

Now Louis knew he wasn’t the strongest out there, definitely not the meanest either, but when he looked at the scene and realized how familiar it was to him, his blood began to boil. The way Harry held Abdul reminded him of the day his parents were painfully removed from his life, of how the Hell hound had unrightfully stormed into his camp and took them without warning. He remembered the hand gripped around his father’s throat, just like the way Harry’s was around Abdul’s. But this time, Louis couldn’t let the attacker win. 

He pushed himself forward, making Niall fall backwards in the process as he shoved all his body weight into Harry. Louis found himself ridding the pure Alpha of his balance as he stumbled sideways, his glare transitioning from hard to soft as he looked between Abdul and Louis. 

“I said stop!” Louis cried out again, and this time, he knew Harry heard him.

Without another word or moment of eye contact, Harry swiftly walked towards the door and flung it open with all his might. His nostrils were flared and his face was a deep crimson. His chest was rising up and down in quick reps while long, gaunt fingers found their way through his hair as he disappeared through the doorway.

He never bothered to look back at Louis with a smile. Not like he had the first time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS? *throws pennies everywhere*


	7. Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t able to publish any works because I spent two days in the hospital—and no, not because of me. My sister in law gave birth to a beautiful little girl and I’ve been by her side the whole time, so I had barely any time to even write this chapter. I also had an open house to get through, some full time work days, and not to mention that I had to get signed up for an orientation for a college I'm going to. (Ya girl didn't even have to take any tests either because she got good SAT scores. Yay me!)
> 
> But here you go! Chapter 7!

* * *

Louis hasn’t seen Harry ever since the incident, or, well, not in the way he hoped.

After Harry had stormed out and Abdul was confirmed to be okay with close examination from both Omegas, Louis had bolted out the cabin door, it’s hinges screaming at him to be careful as he flung himself out onto the deck and stopped suddenly at the top of the staircase. He regretted coming out in the heat, but it didn’t beat the fact that he had more important things to do as he scanned the grounds in front of him for a tall, dark haired brute retreating from the building they had departed from. But Louis didn’t see anyone that matched the description, only a few women here and there carrying small children, the back of their hands wiping at the sweat dressing their forehead. There were only a few men in the area, but they were none that Louis happened to be searching for.

He jumped off the creaking deck, his nose wiggling as he smelled the air to catch the alphas scent, and found himself managing his balance at the bottom step. Once the ground was firmly beneath his feet, he pushed himself across the small, unpopulated area in search of the man he needed answers from.

Even though Louis was fast, Harry was faster, and even with Louis’ heightened senses, Harry’s aroma was everywhere—fresh or not—and just took him in circles. Never had he failed to track down someone, and even though he tried to follow the freshest scent, today was the day that marked the first time his nose had failed him.

Sadly, he wouldn’t find his answers today.

❍

“What I don’t get is why?” Louis stated his concerns, the crease between his eyebrows becoming more apparent as he thought deeply. 

“Me neither,” Niall was quick to agree, his shadow being thrown across the inside of Louis’ tipi and haunting the side of it. He stood at the entrance of Louis’ make shift home, his body showing signs of exhaustion with slumped shoulders. “Harry and Abdul are great friends too, which makes me even more shocked.”

Louis turned his head to his friend, a shocked expression crossing his face as he parted his lips slightly. “I didn’t know that?”

Niall let out a small laugh that caught the pure Omegas attention, his lips curled up as he looked at a small woven basket that sat empty in the corner of Louis’ tipi. He hadn’t any idea what he wanted to put in there. Possibly clothes? “I wouldn’t expect you to know that either. It’s the first time you see them in a room together and they’re fighting like thieves over a bundle of cash—but in this instant, you’re the bundle of cash and Abdul is the thief that’s not really a thief, just happened to be there at the wrong time.”

”Thanks for the comparison Niall. But I got a serious question here,” Louis threw himself back on his bed, the feeling of the fur pelt that he uses as a blanket tickling his skin. “What do we do now?”

”No, it’s not _we_. It’s _you,_ ” Niall told him quickly. 

Louis brought his head up, his eyes searching for his friend at the entrance of his tipi while trying to support his neck with his hand. At Niall’s statement, Louis felt a sudden sadness creep into him, making him pout without noticing as he looked at Niall’s sudden change to a guilty expression. To the pure Omega, he took it as a sign that he was just by himself in this one, and he didn’t like the fact that his only friend just admitted to him that he doesn’t have his back. If something like this happened to Niall, you’d be damn sure that Louis would be right next to him, helping the man fight _his_ fight. _Together_. 

“I mean, I’ll help you, yes. I’ll help you with cooking, hunting, and all that jazz, but there is no way that I’m helping when it comes to Harry. That man can squash me like a bug if he wanted, and by what happened today, I’m honestly sorta afraid to even _stand_ next to you, Louis,” Niall held his hands up as if an invincible man had drawn his gun and pointed it straight at him, his eyes wide and body tense at what he admitted to the pure Omega.

”Okay, I get where you’re coming from. But for being your friend, I’m only asking one thing of you. To help keep him away from me,” Louis wanted to stick his input into the conversation to ease the other, but how could it help when it didn’t even ring true to the man who spoke it himself?

He didn’t want Harry to be kept away from him, he wanted to accept his presence, bathe in his scent, _love_ him.

Louis had to take a few seconds to gulp down some fresh air at the thought. He felt like his mouth was dry and closed his partly open lips, his head falling back down onto his bed as his chest heaved with slow breaths. He wasn’t supposed to be falling in love with the only man made to break him. But as science had it, his inner wolf told him to fall so deeply in love that he couldn’t breathe.

 “I’m sorry Louis, but when it comes to Harry, I can’t help. Whatever he wants, he gets, and I’m no match to tell his otherwise,” Niall informed him before marching over to the side of Louis’ bed.

The pure Omega didn’t say anything in response. He looked up through long lashes at the blonde above him, their eyes meeting before his friend pulled the blanket from underneath him. Louis huffed as he turned onto his side to allow him the fur blanket, only to fall back fully on his back, his eyes never stopping to watch Niall. 

“But like I said, I’ll help you with everything else, and as long as Harry isn’t here, I’ll be happy to tuck little Louis into bed,” Niall joked while flapping the blanket from its dusty inhabitants, his smile wide and white as can be.

Louis shook his head in response and tried to kick his laughing friend away when he came at him with the blanket. He groaned as he lifted himself up to throw his legs over the bed, his abs burning for a split second as he did so. 

“Give me my blanket and go away you freak,” Louis reached out for the blanket that Niall waved tauntingly in front of him, only for the blonde to pull it back once his hand came close to it. Louis couldn’t help but laugh at the man who thought his attempts were the funniest thing in the world. “God damn it Niall. I’m not a kid anymore, I can tuck myself in.”

”I know you’re not a kid, but I can help my friend prepare for what’s to come when Harry gets his hands on him,” Niall joked, flapping the blanket in front of Louis to make a breeze of wind draft over his face, the force pushing his hair back a little. “I bet you’ll get treated like a baby. _You want that? Well you can have it! You wanna be the first to feast? Of course you can! Want me to tuck you in? I’ll be right there! You wanna get it on? I call top—I’m always top!”_

Louis threw his pillow at him before he could continue, the sudden thought of his and Harry’s sweaty bodies pressed against each other making his cheeks turn a shade of pink. “Grow up you absolute bawbag.”

❍ Three Days Later ❍

The bonding ceremony was something that had been hyped up by everyone—even Niall. Louis found himself wondering exactly what these ceremonies were; it wasn't like he was around long enough to experience the one before that, or the one _before_ that. Apparently, from what Niall spoke of, these bonding ceremonies were to celebrate the bonding of their pack leaders, but this was going to be the packs third one which meant only one thing; this wasn't Harry's first and it definitely wasn't his last either.

He was already aware of Harry using his current mate—Sasha—for her father's land, who happened to be known as Leader Reddair, and apparently everyone else was aware too. But he wasn't sure how it would go down. He didn't have past experiences like the others, yet from Niall's bright eyes and wide smiles when he told Louis of the past, it was going to be _very_ entertaining. His best friend told the pure Omega about how usually, instead of going through with what a bonding ceremony was actually for, Harry was using it as a plan to get Leader Reddair on the pack land to go through with a strike.

It would be a quick move, from what Louis was told. The man would accompany his daughter to her pack ceremony, sign his land over to Harry, and then have his throat slit before the deed could be taken back. After, Sasha would be either thrown out to the rogues or werewolves, or ordered to the lowest of the low of the packs; the ones that spent all day cleaning and picking up after the others for the rest of their lives.

Louis felt bad for Sasha, he really did, but to know that Harry had done this two times before and she hadn't a clue was far beyond him. Plus, thinking back to the day he had heard them fighting outside the kitchen meant that she knew of his ideal, making Louis wonder if she had brought up the idea to her father. Maybe she had and he didn't believe her? He shook his head to rid of the thought. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to know.

An unlabeled bottle was held up in front of Louis' face, the liquid looking dark inside the brown glass as it revolved inside the bottle. He watched it as Niall brought it back to his side, a lazy smile filling his face as he hiccuped.

“Have a drink, lad. Get wasted," Niall slung an arm around Louis' shoulder as the blonde stumbled. The ceremony hasn't even started and here he was, already halfway to getting plastered.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I don't drink," Louis drew his friends arm away from his neck as Niall stumbled forward, a few curse words emptying from his mouth.

Once Niall picked himself up, he pointed at two men sitting at a large picnic table. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as they talked and laughed along with each other, their smiles intoxicating and loving. One had short brown hair, his brown eyes wide with excitement as he conversed with the other black haired boy. They were both fairly attractive, certainly grabbing Louis' attention before the blonde raised his bottle and hollered out to them. They turned their heads to watch the man stumble towards them, Louis in tow as he threw his hands into the pockets of his grey sweatshirt. He'd practically given up on trying to support Niall as he walked. His friend would just find his own way out of Louis' grip, or annoy Louis to the point where he had to practically pry his friends hands off of him.

“Me lads!" Niall caught himself on the picnic table, the sound of his hand slapping the wood jolting some others nearby before they continued on with whatever they were doing.

Louis rolled his eyes with a smile before sniffing the air. Both of the men were Alphas, but their vibe was peaceful. Happy, even.

"Leave it to Niall to show up half drunk before the ceremony even starts," the brown haired boy stated, motioning for them to both sit across them. "Go on, sit down before you bust something of yours open."

The black haired boy laughed as he stretched his hand out to Louis once he situated himself in the seat across him. Louis took it gently and cautiously, his hand small and overpowered by the other as they shook hands.

"You must be new? I've never seen your face around here before," the man asked, his head tilting a little.

Louis just nodded in response, his hair bouncing and lips pressing together in a tight line. He wasn't very social, but the man smiled a trustworthy smile.

“Well, I'm Zayn, the head doctor of the pack," the man said to him before turning to the brown haired other, his smile never failing to falter as their eyes meet. "And this is Liam, my mate, who's the lead hunter."

Louis raised his eyebrow and let a crooked smile crawl onto his face. It explained the lovingly looks they kept sending each other, and the small touches or the brushes of their hands against each other that he noticed within the small span he was there for. "I'm Louis. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

“This bugger doesn't drink. Who doesn't drink?" Niall butted into the conversation as he changed the subject, wiggling his eyebrows as he looked at the pure Omega.

Louis shared a look with both Liam and Zayn, a smile threatening to break along all three of their faces. Niall sighed deeply before resting his elbow on the table, his palm digging into his cheek as he leaned on it. With his other hand, he began to swirl the leftover liquid in his bottle before taking a quick swig.

"It's okay to not drink. At least he won't end up like you and find himself passed out with a large gash mysteriously bleeding out on his head," Zayn defended Louis for his healthy life choices, and it made him smile. He decided that he liked Zayn. "Niall finds himself in the hospital about once every month, so don't take any advice from him. It's probably...no, it _is_ dangerous."

Louis laughed at that. It seemed like something Niall would do if he were to be honest. The blonde had a personality that screamed funny, but dangerous to oneself. Niall didn't even fight it either, he just smiled shyly as he stared at the bottle in his hand.

"So," Louis attempted to redirect the conversation from him and onto something else. "When does the bonding ceremony start, if I may ask?"

"Anytime now," Liam responded, his eyes scanning the people around him before his gaze stopped up near the front of the crowd. "Actually, any second. Harry and...what's her name are up on stage right now. They're probably just waiting for someone to get up and make the fake proposal speech."

Louis turned his head to where Liam's gaze was and surveyed the large platform that he happened to never notice. There were a lot of people standing in the way of his vision, causing him to position his back straighter in an attempt to view the two on the stage.

There, on the large wooden stage, sat four chairs. One was empty, but the two middle ones were occupied with both Harry, who was sat on the left, and Sasha, who was sat on the right. The one that was next to Sasha was also occupied with an older man, his hair now completely grayed and face wrinkled from what Louis could see. He wore expensive, velvet red clothes that made him stand out from the others on stage who all wore a sense of black, almost like they were all at a funeral.

"Who's the man in the red?" Louis asked, his body leaning forward towards Zayn as he never took his eyes off the stage.

“That's Leader Reddair, Sasha's father. Right next to him is, of course, Sasha," Zayn answered him. Louis shook his head in understanding as he watched them all.

Leader Reddair had one of his legs thrown over the other with his palms resting on-top of his patella. His face was stern and hard, reading business all over his features as he watched the crowd below him. Sasha, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of her father. She was slouched in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. She was looking down at her feet, not even bothering to stare at anyone close or far from her. He couldn't read her expression, as it was hidden from pieces of hair falling into her face, but he could sense her distress signals with his heightened senses.

Next was Harry. He sat leaned back in his chair, one arm slung over and dangling over the back as his other hand picked at a fabric of his black jeans. He looked calm and collected, showing no signs of nervousness or idea of a planned strike. His long, brown hair ran down to his shoulders, just asking to have Louis' fingers run through them. He could almost feel the ghost of each individual strand glide down his fingers, a slight shiver cascading down his spine as he looked down at his fingertips.

Louis picked his head back up again, but this time, when he went to look back at Harry for one last time, he caught his green gaze. He instantly felt hot under the stare as goosebumps waved down his whole body. His leg began to bounce up and down due to his nerves, almost startling a drunk Niall next to him. Harry smirked at him, almost like he _knew_ what he was doing to Louis at such a distance.

Niall obliviously flung his arm around Louis' shoulders and within a fraction of a second, the smirk that dressed Harry's lips instantly turned to a clenched jaw before Louis forced himself to look away. Niall was saying something, he could tell from his friends moving lips, but he found himself not hearing until he rubbed at his eyes and shook the distraction away.

“Whatd'ya say?" Louis mumbled together, his glance full of confusion.

”Liam wanted to know if you could put ‘is bag next to you, there’s no room on ‘is side of the bench,” Niall began to hiccup, his voice now completely missing the total pronunciation of the word ‘ _his_ ’ as he rested his head against the table top.

”Of course,” Louis grabbed Liam’s bag and planted it on the side of him, the brown haired boy mumbling a small thank you before a voice broke above all others. 

“Excuse me! Attention please! My name is Atticus Lebrunski and I’m here to deliver the proposal between your two beautiful leaders,” a man—who now went by the name Atticus—roared out to the crowd. He was dressed in what looked like a long, white robe with a golden tie. His white hat was tall as a golden cross rose from the top of it, standing high in the air as he talked with a book—which Louis guessed was the Hell hound Bible—underneath his arm. A group of people near the stage hollered, their voices loud and straining against Louis’ almost sensitive eardrums.

“How about we start off with introducing the chess pieces, shall we? As you see, here we have Harry Styles, the one and only Pure Alpha Hell hound to safety guide us in life to become successful and strong. He is an absolute brute in combat, and a healthy, loving mate behind closed doors. He was carved to be the perfect leader. Now, we have dear Sasha Reddair, a lovely Alpha Hell hound to show us the base of what a true warrior must be made of. These two things are strong together.”

”Next is the best man of his generation, Mr. Reddair. Please, give the man an applause for all that he is sacrificing tonight,” Atticus stopped to allow the fierce clapping, perhaps getting a few knowingly whistles in there as he smirked out to the crowd in a fiery blaze. 

Niall quickly picked his head up and cheered, leaving the rest of them at the picnic table to be quiet. It wasn’t that Louis was excited, don’t get him wrong. He was, but he was more into observing the moment than celebrating it. The other two Alphas at the table sat still. Liam looked like he wanted to yell out into a full on cheer, his eyes wide and lips quivering from a hidden smile. His fists were clenched on the table and his knuckles were white from clenching his palms. Zayn, however, couldn’t even find himself to look up at Atticus. His jaw was clenched as he picked at a dark spot in the wood of the picnic table.

He heard Atticus speak from the front of the crowd, but Louis didn’t bother to pay attention to the man. Instead, he placed his hand on-top of Zayns to comfort him the best he could. 

“What’s wrong?” Louis’ voice was soft and gentle, and he was surprised that Zayn could hear it over more cheers from something that he didn’t hear.

”This whole thing just gets on my nerves,” Zayn admitted, his eyes staring at their two touching hands. Louis moved his hand away from the Alphas, but he still tried to send a comforting vibe towards the man by giving him his full undivided attention. “I’m a doctor, my job is to help people get hurt because I can’t stand people in pain. It’s what my passion is. But sitting here and knowing that that man up there is gonna die, I just...”

Zayn forced himself to look away from Louis. His waterline began to grow moist as he rubbed at his eyes. Louis felt for the man, he could feel how uncomfortable he was and his silent distress. 

“Is this your first one?” Louis asked softly before motioning his head towards the stage. “Your first ceremony, I mean.” 

Zayn shook his head from side to side as Liam turned to them both, his attention resting on his slouching mate. His hand slithered from his side and found it’s way into Zayn's palm. He tangled their fingers together and smiled at his lover, his thumb brushing over the knuckles of the other man.

“Zayn's just sensitive when it comes to others but he’ll have to get use to it. There’s been more strikes against us from the werewolves and I know damn well that we aren’t gonna save _everyone,”_ Liamadmitted as he squeezed his mates hand. 

Louis looked between them both as Zayn brushed up against Liam, finding comfort in his mate. He watched their knuckles turn white from gripping tightly, the action to help support Zayn’s emotions and increase his comfortability there. Niall looked at Liam, all their gazes landing on the brown haired man as his face grew hard.

”There’s a long war coming boys. You better be ready to let the people you love go, or be ready to take your own when a knife stops your lovers beating heart.”

And with that, Liam and Zayn shared one last look before their gazes drifted to the stage.

 ❍

Before long, most of the people around Louis had either reeked of over-the-top excitement or just full on nervousness. He didn't know what category he belonged to, but Liam and Niall were both on their tippy-toes just waiting for the time when everything was to go down. The two would cheer at random times or high five each other when something was spoken of. Louis didn't understand the excitement, but maybe he would learn to soon enough. 

Zayn, however, was still slouching in his seat, his whole attitude full of peaceful cravings. There were multiple times where Louis found himself trying to comfort the man in any way as the fake proposal speech carried on into the day, but his attempts would only last for a few minutes until he could feel Zayn grow tense under the situation, again.

When the time came for the strike, Louis could practically feel the static in the air. The sky was dark and the air was now a cold breeze that was frigid enough to send chills down Louis' arms and legs. The only lighting that accompanied the ceremony were tall tiki torches paced along the outskirts of the crowded area. Louis was sure that some people in the mass of others were also carrying some as well, for the flames blocked his vision every time the holder cheered and hurled their fists in the air.

Somehow Louis had avoided Harry's gaze the whole time, that was up until the presenter—Atticus—had silenced the crowd and lifted a sheet of paper, it's color a dark gray in the night. Everyone stopped what they were doing, the crowd falling silent enough that Louis was sure he could hear his own heartbeat racing in his chest.

“And now is the time for Leader Reddair to give his precious land over, only in exchange for him and his daughter to become related to one of the worlds most powerful bloodlines, a line of pure Alpha Hell Hounds," Atticus bellowed out, his hand outstretched as he turned to showcase the two sitting men. "May we please have silence to appreciate Mr. Reddair's last day on Earth...as a king."

Louis felt a nudge at his hand and he looked down to see Zayn's, his palm open and fingers shaking. Louis slid his own hand into the Alphas and watched as the man grew calmer under the pure Omegas touch, his body relaxing just ever so slightly.

"It's okay," Louis whispered as he turned back to the stage, but he wasn't sure if Zayn had heard him.

"Your time has come, Leader Reddair. You're welcome to sign the paper at any second you wish," Atticus announced.

Leader Reddair stood up from his seat, followed along by Harry. Louis couldn't help but to watch his muscles ripple under his white long sleeved shirt, the sleeves pushed up above his elbows to show off indecipherable tattoos that littered his arms. He pushed his long fingers through his hair, pulling the strands back without getting them tangled within the rings—that Louis just happened to notice at the moment—that dressed the bottom of his fingers.

Louis watched as Harry came to stand right next to the older man. He looked between the two of them, the comparison as blunt as it could ever be, almost like a red dot in a sea of blue ones.

Harry was taller, his frame more well built and masculine compared to the other. Even though he was younger, he held himself in a more dominant posture, allowing him to tower over the older man who stood next to him in a droop, his posture beginning to slouch from his old age. Harry's body rang  _power_ and  _danger_ , whereas Leader Reddairs rang  _serious_ but  _soft._

"May Leader Styles sign the paper first," Atticus held his hand out to stop the crowd from cheering as the name of their leader was spoken.

Atticus handed the paper to Harry as the night was silent, all eyes on the moving inked feather that was used to write his signature on the white sheet sitting in his large palm. When he was done, he bit his lip and looked up to hand the paper to Leader Reddair. The man accepted it, his smile wide as he thanked the pure Alpha Hell hound.

Louis watched as Harry smirked, the older man completely oblivious to what was to come. Harry slowly breathed through his nostrils as he closed his eyes, his head rolling in a circle on his shoulders to crack his neck. When his eyelids slowly slid back open, Louis found their gazes connecting, Harry's smirk only growing bigger as the man next to him began to sign the paper. Harry had brought his hand to reach behind him, and Louis found himself unintentionally shaking his head as if yelling at the curly haired man to stop.

But the only thing that seemed to go at a snails pace was time. It felt as if someone pressed the slow down button on his life instead of leaving it on play.

When Leader Reddair handed the paper back to Atticus, his smile brood and eyes crinkled with joy, Harry took it as his cue and pulled his hand from behind him, the glint of a dagger shinning in the flames of nearby tiki torches. His gaze never left Louis' as his hand had swiftly plunged the dagger into the older mans neck. Harry never flinched or checked to see where he had hit the man. He didn't even move a muscle when guards had taken over the stage to grab Sasha from her screaming state, her arms reaching out towards her father.

The people cheering, the intense eye contact, the sobbing posture of Sasha had all seemed to be in slow motion. A ringing in Louis’ ears caused him to retrieve his hand from Zayn's frantic grasps to cover them with his palms, but the only thing to stop the horrendous noise was the loud ‘ _thump_ ’ of Leader Reddair's body falling to the stage. Blood was seeping from the hole in his throat and through the cracks of Reddairs fingers as Harry slowly rested his arm to his side, the now crimson dagger hanging loosely as he stared Louis down like a predator would a prey.

Out of everyone there, Harry had picked Louis to be his main audience member. It felt like a show put on just for him and it made him feel sick to his stomach.

Louis was too busy in his thoughts and stare down to notice that Zayn had dashed away from the picnic table in a hurry. Liam was close behind as he called for his mate to wait up, a worried tone etched in his voice as he moved through the crowd. Niall's sudden movement brought Louis to divert his attention.

"Niall?" Louis sounded confused as he surveyed the empty space on the other side of the picnic table. "Where's Liam and Zayn?"

Niall didn't answer as he picked himself up from his seat and dashed off in the same direction as the other two Alphas. Louis was left by himself as he watched his friend take off in a hurry, his small body stumbling from the alcohol still running through his system.

“Niall, wait!" Louis yelled as he quickly picked himself up from the bench.

He was about ready to take off before he noticed Liam's bag next to him. He grabbed the handle and noticed that the zipper was open, but he was too busy taking one last glance at the stage to bother properly zipping it back up. 

Louis watched as Harry winked at him before he lowered himself into the screaming crowd. He felt his heart leap in his throat and his skin crawl at the thought of not knowing where the man was. At any given second he could be right next to Louis.

It was like a game of maze, but instead of finding the exit, Harry had to find Louis within the mass of hysterical people.

“Damn it," Louis whispered to himself as he took off. He tried his best to maneuver between everyone, leaving the sound of Sasha's screaming and the packs cheering behind him.

Louis attempted at sniffing the air for any of the three scents of his friends—or Harry—but there were so many smells invading his senses all at once that it was of no use.

He pushed his way through all the sweaty bodies of people around him, their voices loud and beating against Louis' eardrums to the point where he had to cover his ears. He wanted to yell at them to quiet down or to at least shut up, but he knew that would also be of no use, so he increased his pace until he stumbled out from the massive crowd.

The air felt cooler against his skin as the bodies around him disappeared, his breathing more slow and calm as he straightened his posture. He didn't allow any time to put himself together as he swept the area with one glance, his eyes instantly pin-pointing a head of blonde hair vanishing into the edge of a nearby treeline. Louis quickly took off before he could lose sight of his friend.

"Niall! Wait up!" Louis called out, his legs carrying him across the distance the quickest they could, the cheering of the pack and the light of the tiki's fading away at each step. "Niall!"

However, Louis never got an answer back.

He found himself following anyway, his thoughts racing almost as fast as his legs could carry him. Was Zayn alright? Louis could almost feel his heart break at the thought of his new found friend crying. He was a sweet Alpha from what he could tell, and he was just wishing the best health for others, something that not a lot of people would wish nowadays.

Louis  _had_ to find him. 

❍

It felt like an eternity of racing before Louis had to stop to catch his breath, his cheeks red and mouth partly falling open. He rested his sweaty palms on his knees as he bent over, the air in his lungs burning as he inhaled the stinging cold, causing him to cough silently into his sleeve.

He couldn't hear the cheering anymore from beyond the trees, and there was no light as far as the eye could see behind all the obstacles of nature. It was dark and quiet, producing an eerie feeling to seep through the cracks in the tree bark or to rise from the mossy floor.

The more Louis stood there trying to gain his breath back, the more he realized that there were no signs of Niall, Liam, or Zayn anywhere.

He couldn't smell their scents. Couldn't see or hear anything moving. Louis began to wonder if he somehow tricked himself into taking the wrong route. Maybe he miscalculated and entered at a different spot than where he saw Niall enter in from. After all, he was at quite a distance when he saw his friend, and it wasn't like Louis could easily distinguish tree from tree in the dark. They all looked the same to him.

However, all he knew was that he ran straight, and that's what he planned to keep doing—just keep going straight until _something_ gave him a hint. 

He took off in a slow walk as he squinted down at the ground, his blue eyes searching for any foot prints in the dark. He noticed a few paw prints and hoof indents in the mud, but there were no signs of humans to be anywhere.

Louis stopped and rested his hands on his hips as he scanned the pitch black woods around him. It was turning darker and growing colder at every second, leaving him to feel isolated and trapped within the trees around him.

"Niall?" Louis yelled in a whisper, half expecting for the man to jump out at him.

A twig snapped to his left, the sound of it almost echoing in the silence that surrounded him. Louis snapped his head to the direction of it, his body frozen in time as he tried his best to zone into the area. He couldn't hear or see anything, but he could feel the presence of something near him. Or, rather _someone_. He lifted his chin to smell the air and that's when he recognized the familiar, intoxicating scent.

 _Harry_. 

Thoughts of finding his friends were completely erased from his mind as he took off in an instant, Liam's bag bumping against his side at every jump, twist, and dodge he blindly made. His breath was caught in his throat as he heard Harry behind him, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as it forced his legs to carry him faster then just minutes before.

He could feel Harry's presence quickly gain on him from behind, and from the rapid footsteps—that weren't his own—Louis could tell that the pure Alpha wasn't chasing him in his human form. There were too many footsteps gaining up on him and no other scents, which informed him that Harry must be in his wolf form. A form that Louis didn't have an urge to see within the darkness of the woods.

There was one thing that Louis knew for sure; Harry was determined to catch the pure Omega.

Louis put in all his might to push himself forward, his chest tightening as his legs grew sore from the constant pressure he was enduring. He couldn't find his breath, and soon enough, he couldn't find the ground beneath his own two feet anymore.

His body felt airborne for a few seconds, giving him the feeling of flying before Liams bag snaked quickly down his arm and departed from him. He wasn't sure where it went, but his thoughts were completely redirected as he felt himself falling downwards, his side hitting the ground roughly as he tumbled along the steep hill that he failed to detect.

He felt every hit, grunting at almost every impact of sticks digging into his skin and rocks bashing into every part of his body. A sudden sharp pain raced through his side and waved through his entire body until he found himself stopping at the end of the hill, his small, bruised frame submerged in a large puddle of muddy water below. The water was cold and bit at his skin as it splashed and rippled around him, his clothes instantly getting soaked and making the situation a lot more unbearable as it already was.

Soon enough, Liam's bag rolled down the hill and landed a few feet from Louis, the left over contents spilling out as it hit the ground. All what he saw in the bag were glints of shining silver. The impact of the objects against the rocky bottom reminded him of something like two swords hitting each other, making him realize what exactly was hidden within the sac.

Louis recognized the items to be small daggers of the sort, and he began to wonder why Liam had decided to carry around a bag of weapons. However, his thoughts were redirected as a wave of pain shot through his entire body.

Louis threw his head back as his mouth opened, but no words came out as he groaned in intense pain. The smell of blood began to burn his nose as it stained the water red below him, creating a puddle of now crimson mud. His hand found it's way to his side slowly—careful of the pain in his shoulder—as he felt something cold against his finger tips. He felt along the object before attempting his best to look at it in the dark, his neck killing as he rolled his head at an angle to view it. It was hard to see, but it only took him a few seconds to put together exactly what it was.

There he was, lying at the bottom of a steep, rocky hill while he bleed from every gash and cut he received.

However, he couldn't decide what was worse:

The fact that he now realized one of the daggers from Liam’s bag was stuck painfully in his side, or the fact that Harry was calling out to him worriedly as he expertly slid down the hill towards him, his body back in the form of a human.

Either way, Louis found himself far from being okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s 3:00 A.M. but I wanted to get this out to you guys for waiting so long. If you see any mistakes, I’m sorry, I’m tired and tried my best at editing. XD 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! I can promise A LOT of Larry fluff next chapter. 
> 
> Now it’s time to sleep. Leave a comment so I can wake up and smile as I read them! <3


	8. Dagger Of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !I didn’t edit the third portion of this chapter due to having to go to work, but I wanted to upload this for you guys! I’ll edit it when I’m out of work!
> 
> GUYS I HAVE A POLL. So a few chapters back I asked what you guys thought of mpreg. It was accepted, so guess what? I’m going to put it in. BUT I need you guys to vote on something, so would you rather:
> 
> 1) Have me put mpreg into the storyline of this book. 
> 
> Or 
> 
> 2) Create a sequel and put mpreg in that one—which means that I would spoil you guys with a whole other book.
> 
> I just wanted to ask this because I know that a sprinkle of people didn’t want mpreg, and I didn’t want to hold it back from the people who did, so I was thinking that maybe I could write the first book for people (who don’t want mpreg) to read, and if they want to read mpreg, they can just choose to read the second book. I just didn’t want people to not read this story because of it, and I wanted to give them a choice...if that makes sense?
> 
> But other than that, HERE WE GO! BE READY FOR FEELS.

At this moment in time, of lying in a puddle of his blood stained water, Louis began to wonder  _why_ exactly he had decided to claim his new home in Hell hound territory.

Maybe it was because being himself was dangerous when it came to werewolves. Even though Hell hounds were down right terrifying, their size, stamina, and build about ten times those of Louis’ kind, they didn’t pose as much of a threat to him than werewolves. Who, mind you, were hunting him, trying to kill the last remaining chess piece of the pure Omega bloodline. 

Or perhaps it was because with the Hell hounds, they were all accepting of him. He wanted to secretly manipulate his scent to become one of them? They would obliviously embrace him with open arms. He ended up being caught as the pure Omega? He’d still be welcomed comfortably in the pack—he was the key to winning the war, and not to mention, but the only one able to successfully anchor their leaders heart unlike all the past runaway ships. 

Whatever his reason was, whether it was blunt to himself or not, he just couldn’t help but feel a deep, relaxing comfort in Harry’s voice that bounced from above him. Like his voice was made just for Louis, to draw him in and keep him there.

The man was currently still making his way down the steep hill, hidden curses under his breath as he stepped on an unstable rock, causing it to teeter before gravity was forced to clock in to work. Louis watched it stumble from the hill before stopping just feet away from his own foot, the surface of the rock turning a darker gray as it splashed into the water. 

“Louis?! Please tell me that didn’t hit you,” Harry yelled from above, his voice full of worry and frustration.

Louis attempted to shout out from below, but his right side had tensed painfully as he tried to, causing a loud, pained whine to emit loudly into the air. Instead he scrunched his nose up, threw his head back into the shallow water, and let out an irritated whine through gritted teeth. He wanted to hit something as if doing so would transfer all the pain inside him, but he could barely move to do that, just making the urge to scratch at the itch even more unbearable.

When Louis heard a splash of water come from his left, he tilted his head to the right to keep from the sprinkles of water touching his face. The object that penetrated the water, however, wasn’t caused by another rock like earlier before. It instead came from two brown boots that made their increasingly speedy way towards Louis, never stopping once until they came close enough to the injuried Omega.

”Oh god, Louis,” Harry’s voice was now _directly_ above him, his hands hovering just inches from the injury. “How the hell did this happen?” 

Louis opened his mouth as he turned his head to look the man in the eyes. “I fell...down a hill.” It took him a while to mumble the words, but he had gotten his point across sarcastically. How else did it happen?

Harry rolled his eyes in the moonlight, his hands coming to inspect the wound despite Louis’ attempts at pushing him away. 

“Knock it off Lou, I’m trying to help you,” Harry growled, catching the Omegas wrist and pushing it away gently, both of them completely oblivious to the nickname that escaped his mouth. After a few seconds of Louis pouting and the Alpha inspecting, his green eyes had grown wide with worry. “As much as I hate to say it, but you have to get up and move.”

“No,” it hurt Louis physically just to say that one word. 

“You don’t have a choice.”

”Then...I’ll make...one,” Louis struggled, trying to shift his weight. The pain in his side only got worse and Harry was quick to act, stopping him by pushing him down by his shoulders.

”Listen to me. We don’t have the right materials here for me to fix this up, and if I remove this dagger, who knows what could happen? It could have punctured something and if that’s the case, the dagger lodged into your side is applying enough pressure to prevent any extreme blood loss. Remove the weapon, there’s no pressure inside to stop the bleeding,” Harry pointed out before quickly adding to the statement. “We need to secure it in place so it doesn’t move and cause even more damage.” 

“Or you can go get help,” Louis managed to breathe out as quick as he could in one go, his eyes meeting Harry’s. “Leave me..here.”

The Alpha was quick to shoot down the idea, his head shaking as he quickly pushed himself forward. His large hands were now submerged in the water as they were planted on either side of Louis’ head, his body hovering just partially over the Omegas as their eyes fought for dominance.

Of course, Louis had lost as soon as he looked away. He silently told himself that not mainting the eye contact wasn’t an act of submission—but that was mostly just to protect his own little ego. He felt like he had to look away, as if Harry was looking into the depths of his soul, like he could poke and prod until he figured out Louis’ biggest and darkest secret that tainted his scent. He couldn’t have that. 

But maybe that’s what dominance was like—having someone to know all your ins and outs, that way they’d have better control over you. And Louis was one to breathe in freedom. He was as rebellious as he could be in his situation of life, but he was careful in his way of living; however, looking into the Alphas eyes left an unspoken promise of protection and love, something that he never found himself having. 

In fact, when he looked into his soft green eyes, he could see a future of some sort. He felt weird to think of someone else taking care of him rather than himself, and it strained him to no degree. But he found himself thinking of how lovely it would be to get a rest from running, to lay back and feel free from the danger, to know that wherever he was, someone was always watching to make sure he was safe. He felt peace at the thought.

 _Damn_ his inner wolf.

Louis was shaken out of his thoughts when Harry growled above him. “I am _not_ leaving you.”

”Why?” he questioned, still lying in pain as the man removed his position from hovering over the Omega. “I’m just...” Louis paused before continuing, making sure to correctly address himself in the way that others see him. “I’m only a...Hell hound Alpha.”

Louis felt weird referring to himself as that. It was like trying a new foreign food, but instead of finding it tasty, he’d rather hack it back out in hopes of ridding the horrid aftertaste. But this wasn’t food, this was a new title, and now he found a tear of hunger shining through the blanket of pain that was currently engulfing him.

”Don't say that,” Harry warned as he gripped at his own long sleeve shirt, his grasp tight at the shoulder before he ripped it in one quick motion, a sudden popping sound occurring from the tearing of his shirt. “You're different. I can feel it.”

The Omega found himself opening his mouth to retaliate, but a sudden pressure to his side made a pained scream escape from his mouth. It ended in small cries and sent his body into a state of distress, to which Harry could sense in an instant.

”I’m sorry,” Harry’s voice was low and full of guilt at the pain he was causing Louis. “I need to tie this around to stop the dagger from moving. After that, we’ll be ready to get up and go, okay?” 

Louis found himself shaking his head as he pressed his lips together, but no tears were surprisingly shed from his blue eyes. He bit his tongue, keeping from yelling out in pain as he felt Harry tie his ripped sleeve around his torso and around the small dagger, keeping it in place as tightly as he could. It wasn’t going anywhere.

“Okay, it’s good enough, alright? I’ll let you rest a little before we’re onto the next stage of trying to get you up, okay?” Harry’s face came back into view, his smile forced and his eyes watering from seeing Louis in pain. 

His smile was comforting to the Omega, making the blue eyed man smile in return while shaking his head in understanding. Louis felt a large hand slowly slide into his palm nervously, as if asking silently if it was okay to touch him. From Louis’ tight clench on the Alphas hand, Harry found himself tangling their fingers together in an effort to provide the Omega a safe, calming touch. 

“You’re okay, Lou,” Harry found himself saying as he looked away and at Liams bag that sat close to them.

He reached over carefully to drag the bag over to them, his free hand carefully moving through the leftover daggers inside before taking one out. They were all the same, their blades short and dull, but shiny enough to reflect the moonlight off of it. Harry found a smile overcasing his face as a crease found a home between Louis’ eyebrows.

”What?” an intense pain radiated from his side, causing Louis to clench Harry’s warm hand.

Harry tightened his grip too, making sure to rub a thumb after the Omegas knuckles in an attempt to grab his attention away from the pain.

“The daggers are all the same. They’re short enough to the point where it most likely won’t pierce any of your organs if you were to be stabbed,” Harry looked over at Louis, his smile fading slightly at the sight of the Omega in pain. “But it can easily slice through muscle, and with the fall you took, you could’ve fractured a bone in the same location. Either way, I think you’re gonna be okay.”

”Thank God,” Louis struggled to breathe out, his eyes closing as he tried to focus on something else other than the pain. “I think..I’m good.”

”Are you sure?” Harry questioned nervously.

”Yes,” Louis answered, his voice shaky. He wasn’t ready, but he had to do it now or never. 

“Alright. I need both of my hands for this,” Harry squeezed Louis’ hand once more before the touch disappeared between them. “I’m gonna pull you up from your arms. Whatever you do, don’t bend at all. Try to keep yourself straight,” Harry ordered as he scurried over to Louis’ head.

He was now crouching at this point. He placed his hands under Louis’ shoulders, his hands submerged back into the water as he found his thumbs rubbing over the wet clothes for a few seconds to soothe the small whines from the Omega. He then slid his hands along under Louis’ armpits before catching his gaze.

”You need to relax your body,” Harry ordered, to which Louis tried to obey. It wasn’t as easy as it looked.

”Just lift,” Louis told him as he tried to push himself up, completely ignoring the Alphas retaliations.

He made it some of the way before Harry pushed him back down, his jaw clenched and eyes furious as he yelled at the Omega.

”Louis! You’re hurting yourself! Stop it!” Harry removed his hands from their position to wrap his arms around the squirming Omega, the water rippling around them at his attempt to stop Louis from moving around and injuring himself even more. “Please stop! _Please_.”

And Louis stopped, his body tired and tense as he found his head resting in the Alphas lap. 

“I just want..this damn thing out,” Louis closed his eyes, his throat bobbing as he gulped down saliva to moisten the dryness of his esophagus.

“Jesus Louis! I’ll get it out, but we cant just do it right away! Patience,” Harry stated, his hands going back to where they originally were. There was a few moments of silence as they both tried to steady their breathing. “Now I’m going to lift you, and when I say so, you try all your best to keep your body straight as a board.”

Louis shook his head in understanding. He was smart enough to know how to take care of an injury, but the flailing and nervousness of his body was different this time with Harry. He never experienced it before, not in times like when he was forced to deal with the injuries himself—no matter how small or big they were. 

“In three...two...one...lift!” Harry pulled Louis up, using all his might to keep the Omega from bending at his waist. 

Louis pushed all his weight into his feet, the soles of his shoes slipping in the muddy water as he tried to keep himself from bending. Harry supported him from the back until he found his feet flat on the ground. However, with standing, it took just as much energy from the tired Omega as he found himself falling backwards again, but Harry caught him in a flash, keeping his body upright and straight as his arms wrapped tightly around Louis’ chest. His back was pressed against the Alphas muscular chest, and if it weren’t for the thought of passing out from pain, Louis was sure that he would’ve found himself in a heap of embarrassment from the proximity. 

Damn his pure Omega heightened senses, always making him tired. 

“Hey, hey, Lou,” Harry tried to coax the Omega back into consciousness as Louis slowly slumped forward in his grasp.

The Alpha removed his left arm to lift Louis’ left one also, his body slipping underneath and throwing the Omegas arm over his shoulders so they were now leaning side by side. Harry’s left hand was tangled with Louis’ left one as it hung limply over his shoulder, and his right hand was wrapped around Louis’ right side to help him balance, his grip as far away from touching the injury as he could get it.

“Look at that, we did it Lou,” Harry soothed the other blue eyed man. “Now we get to go home, yeah?” 

Louis didn’t answer. He was too tired and his body was too overwhelmed with pain to even try to open his mouth. Harry guided him forward in his grip, the smaller boy leaning against the Alpha in an attempt to gain support with his stride. But with every step, Louis’ muscles clenched and burned under the movement. It continued to eat at his energy level, making him close his eyes and put his trusts completely to rely just on Harry. His head rolled on his shoulders at the exhaustion his body was going through. 

The thought of Liam’s bag zipped through Louis’ mind in an instant, but he didn’t have enough energy to bring it up. He’ll have to come back later to get it, if he even dared to come back at such a place. 

He felt Harry’s thumb run over his knuckles in a comforting away, but to Louis, it felt like a way of Harry saying ‘ _it’s okay, you can let go. I’ll keep you safe_.’

Even though Louis had watched the man kill a king just an hour before, he didn’t feel scared. Instead, he felt as safe as he could ever be in the grip of the Alpha. His inner wolf was now curled up and comfy as could be, all because of one touch. Just _one_ touch.

After all the years of building up the wall inside him, Harry was now on his way to tearing it down and fast. For all the years, Louis thought he was indestructible, but he was absolutely, completely wrong.

Harry was the wolf, and Louis was the three little pigs; however, the brick home wasn’t strong enough against thepure Alpha Hell hound _._ Nothing was ever going to be. Niall was right—Louis was screwed, and there was no way to back out now, not with Harry gripping him as close as he could be. Sooner or later, everyone was going to find out his secret. The only thing he could control was _when_ exactly that would happen.

And when it did happen, Louis had to be ready. He had to face the wrath of danger from his own werewolf kind, the rumors and pressure of the public, and Harry’s wolf instincts to rightfully protect what was his—to claim him and show everyone who Louis belonged to. To even create powerful  _offspring_ , something that Louis wasn’t ever going to be ready for.

When his secret comes out, his freedom was to slip away like water between his fingers.

As Louis’ mind completely slipped away, his whole body followed suit, instantly going limp against Harry’s own.

❍

Louis could slowly feel himself falling in and out of consciousness, his eyelids cracking every few minutes as Harry practically pulled his body along. Every snap of a twig, hoot of an owl, or song of a cricket, that’s all what he could focus on with the short little bursts of being awake. His eyelids were too tired to stay open, so he relied mostly on his hearing to pick out where they were. 

However, even his hearing had faded away, making him wonder if he was still conscious or not. Either way, the pain was the main focus for him. Every step just sent him farther and father down the hole of sleep, only for each muscle contraction at his side to wake him every few minutes. 

He found his body slumping forward, but he picked his head up, gaining Harry’s attention.

”There you are, Lou,” Harry’s voice was soft and gentle as he tried to coax him back to reality, his arm wrapped around him as he continued to walk like Louis was nothing against him. “Come back to me, darlin’.” 

But Louis wasn’t ready. Not yet. He still wanted to rest.

❍

The next time light had hit Louis’ blue eyes, he found himself lying comfortably in a large bed. Silk sheets surrounded him and kept him in place from moving around, and the pain in his side had grown to a dull throb as he was laying on his back. The sheets felt smooth and cold against his bare torso, and he noticed that he had fluffy, loose pajamas hanging from his legs.

Louis slowly lowered his hand down under the silk blankets, expecting the dagger to still be stuck in his side, but when his fingers touched nothing but rough, white bandages, he flung the sheets off to inspect it. A pain shot through his side as he lowered his feet over the edge of the bed, and he had to heel for a few seconds, his fist clenching the fabric of the bed as he squeezed his eyes.

”Now now, be careful. You need sleep,” a deep voice arouse from the corner of the room. He recognized it as Harry’s.

Louis opened his eyes to look up at the approaching Alpha, his green eyes scanning the Omega up and down for any damage that Louis could’ve caused from the sudden movement. He was now wearing just a pair of black jeans and his torso was as bare as could be. Louis blushed and looked away before Harry could notice the red tint tainting his cheeks.

“I’m surprised that I’m not dying right now,” Louis attempted to start a conversation as he looked down at his side, his finger slightly poking at the bandage lightly. 

He heard Harry chuckle from above him before the man suddenly appeared in a crouching position in front of Louis. His finger gently touched the skin underneath the Omegas chin to get his attention—which worked quite well. Harry pulled Louis’ hand away from poking at the bandage and tangled his fingers around the Omegas.

“You need to take this, it’ll help you sleep,” Harry ordered softly as he held out his other palm, a white circular pill sitting in the middle of it. 

“Pills don’t help me sleep,” Louis took the pill from Harry’s hand and threw it over his shoulder as if it was nothing. 

To say that Louis was lying _was_ correct—pills did help him sleep, but he wasn’t going to take them in fear of it messing with his scent. 

Harry pouted as he looked behind Louis and in the direction of the now disappeared drug. A crease had made a show between the Alphas eyebrows, and Louis’ inner wolf had an urge to wipe it away. Harry stood up, his hand still wrapped around Louis’ as he looked cluelessly at the Omega.

”But you still need to rest. It’s just pass midnight and sleep will help your side heal faster,” Harry pointed out. 

“Okay, but I’ll sleep naturally,” Louis told him before he shifted his lips to the side in thought. 

Harry caught sight of Louis’ sudden expression of change and tilted his head. “What are you thinking about?”

When Louis didn’t answer, Harry squeezed the smaller ones hand, getting the Omega to look up through long eyelashes. 

“What’s wrong?” Harry repeated himself, holding back the urge to wipe his thumb across Louis’ prominent cheekbone.

”I just have a hard time sleeping. Especially in new places,” Louis held up his finger before the man standing before him could talk. “And _especially_ with injuries.”

Harry chuckled once again as he released their hands. He maneuvered around Louis clumsily, being careful not to harm the already injuried Omega in the process, and kicked the blankets and pillows back so he could rest against the expensive, cherry wood headboard. Louis turned slightly enough so his side wouldn’t hurt and watched the Alpha slowly fluff one of the white pillows. He then placed it in his crisscrossed lap before looking sweetly up at Louis, his green eyes yearning for the Omega to come closer as his hand patted the top of the pillow.

”Lay down, I’ll help you fall asleep,” Harry ordered. 

As much as Louis wanted to protest against it, he couldn’t. The fluff of the pillow, the red and white silk sheets, it all looked too welcoming. 

Louis plopped down carefully on his back, his head sinking into the pillow as Harry leaned forward to grab the blankets he threw just seconds ago. He fanned the sheet over Louis like a parachute before watching it slowly cascade down to cover the Omegas body. When the coldness of the silk brushed against Louis’ skin, he shivered and wrapped it closer around him, Harry helping in the process as he continued tucking the sheets around him carefully, his motions as gentle as a pure Alpha Hell hound could be.

Louis couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the irony of the situation. He remembered Niall picking on him and the fact that Harry was going to ‘ _tuck him into bed’_. Oh, if only the blonde knew. 

Speaking of Niall, he began to wonder where his friend was, his eyes zoning out into the corner of the dimly lit room. Harry seemed to notice when he leaned back into the headboard, his fingers brushing the Omegas hair out of the way. 

“What now?” Harry dragged his fingers along Louis’ hair as he watched the man’s expression change below him. 

The fact that they were in the position they were laying in rang no alarms to the both of them. Louis was too tired to even move away, and his side was still in a dull throb for him to even attempt an escape plan that probably wouldn’t work—at least not against a pure Alpha Hell hound that most likely held ten times his own strength. Harry, however, was a wild one. Louis wanted to look into his mind, see the man’s thoughts as to why he was getting close to the Omega without questioning. For all Louis knew, Harry still thought that he was just your average Hell hound Alpha.

”I wonder where Niall is. And Liam and Zayn,” Louis desperately wanted Harry to have an answer, but there was none to be given. 

“I’m sure they’re safe. Now sleep, Lou,” Harry never stopped brushing his fingers through his hair. He now began to lightly rub at Louis’ scalp, sending his comfortability with the Alpha into overdrive.

Louis could live with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many feels while writing this holy


	9. Blind Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S 3:30 A.M. AND IM SO TIRED THAT I DIDNT EVEN EDIT IT RIGHT, BUT I NEEDED TO PUT SOMETHING OUT HERE FOR ONCE.
> 
> If you haven’t noticed, I put the amount of chapters that I’ve planned and it leads up to 56. But don’t be surprised if it ends up raising. I’ll probably find more things to put in as I write. 
> 
> AND NOW THAT ITS PLANNED CHAPTER BY CHAPTER, YOU GUYS ARE IN FOR THE TIME OF YOUR LIVES.
> 
> (Also apologizes for the wait. I had a lot of stuff happen that put me on hold.)

Louis found himself in a daze when he woke up hours later, the sun shinning through the cracks in the only window in the room. It was covered by a large deer hide, keeping the suns rays from attacking his sensitive vision, but leaving just enough room to shine against his uncovered torso, his skin looking smooth and golden under the light. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as his mouth opened wide from a yawn, and his head rolled along the pillow as he tried to cover his mouth with the back of his hand.

He rolled to his right side, but the dull pain had prevented him from continuing trying to move. His hand instantly went to apply pressure to the injury, and when the pain finally stopped to a small throb, Louis attempted once again to throw his legs over the edge of the bed. When no hands came to stop him, that’s when he noticed Harry was nowhere around him. He instinctively whined from the sudden acknowledgment of the Alphas lack of presence, and when he realized what he had done, he slowly cursed his inner omega out for getting attached too easily. 

“Do not screw me over,” Louis told his inner wolf. “I _will_ destroy you.”

When his get-his-feet-to-the-edge-of-the-bed mission was accomplished without any striking blow to his side, he took the time to study the room he was in.

Louis could tell he was in a log cabin of sorts. The walls were a deep brown wood and looked unpolished, as if the building was old itself. The room was large and warm, welcoming absolutely anyone, but from the only two scents within the room—his and Harry’s—people probably weren’t _ever_ allowed in. He noticed that there were no old scents seeping into any of the furniture and with his heightened senses, he could detect months of old scents. Possibly years if he put his mind to it.

And when he did put his mind to it, all other scents stopped at the door to the room. It was just his own new scent, and years of Harry’s.

In the far right corner of the room sat two large doors that were currently closed. Above the doorframe sat a large painting of a white wolf standing in the middle of a misty, darkened forest, its eyes glowing a bright blue and taking the attention away from everything else that had been expertly drawn on the canvas. Louis tilted his head at the artwork, his hand coming up to feel the skin underneath his eye as he let out a small laugh.

The color blue was a representation of pure Omegas, and to know that Harry had a painting of one hanging up shouldn’t have surprised him. Of course he was going to have one; it was like a kid having a poster of their favorite celebrity hanging in their rooms. 

He went back to studying his surroundings. If you were to walk into the room, on the left would be the large bed that Louis was currently sitting on, its location in the middle of the left wall. On either sides were two large wooden logs, and on top of each one sat a silver cast ironed candelabra with five candles, the one in the middle just inches higher than the rest. Not one candle was lit, but Louis was fine with that.

On the right side of the bed—where Louis was—sat a lonely, red velvet wingback chair in the corner of the room, and it was angled directly towards him. When there was nothing else to see, he turned around slowly to the left side of the bed and noticed a large dresser against the wall, the only window in the room resting above it. There was no decor on the dresser besides for a long red runner across it, complimenting the cherry wood it was made of.

Across from the bed sat a gigantic fireplace made of white stone. There were random carvings made in some of the stones, and when Louis moved around, small little glimmers of light twinkled in the dimly lit room, signifying that there were crystals of the sort embedded into the fireplace. There was a small mountain of wood inside with only a hint of a dying fire, and Louis pulled himself up to move closer to the heat. He first had to make his way around a large red velvet couch and a long cherry wood coffee table before he could even come close to the fire. 

Louis stopped when he neared the couch, his hand coming to grip the back of it when he stepped with his right leg. A pain shot through his side and he gritted his teeth at the feeling. He took deep breaths and focused on the fire before continuing onward. However, with each step of his right leg, a sliver of pain would race up to his side like a bolt of electricity. 

He huffed and decided to take his place on the couch, his actions slow and calculated as his hand never left the bandage. He sat down with a small bounce and rested back into the comfy cushions, his head falling back against the edge as he groaned. He sat like that for a few minutes, taking in the silence before he lifted his head and looked around the room.

”Leader Styles?” Louis’ voice was quiet.

His eyebrow was raised as he turned in all directions to look for the Alpha, but when he caught sight of no one, he turned back to the fire. He took the time alone to think and his thoughts were instantly clouded with the vision of Niall, Zayn, and Liam still out in the woods. Were they lost? Injured? He could feel his body tense in distress, but his muscles relaxed in an instant when the door slowly swung open to reveal Harry. 

He had a wooden bowl in his hand and a wooden spoon in his other, the hot smell of chicken invading Louis’ nostrils. Harry and Louis locked eye contact as the Alpha neared him, his body now covered in black pants and a tan buckskin shirt. Louis, however, was still dressed with soft pajama bottoms—that weren’t his—and a bare torso.

“Why are you out of bed?” Harry questioned him as he sat the bowl and spoon down on the table in front of Louis.

Louis leaned forward to look into the bowl and noticed that it was, indeed, filled with chicken soup. He could see small portions of carrots floating in the liquid and small square chunks of meat.

”I wanted to sit by the fire,” Louis spoke as the cushion next to him was taken by the Alpha. “Or should I say the fire that’s now just a single, sad little flame.”

He heard a deep chuckle escape from right next to him. “Want me to yell at it? Tell it to step up its game?” Harry joked as Louis puffed out his cheeks.

It felt weird to hear the man joke with him. He was taught that pure Alpha Hell hounds were not a thing to mess with. He was taught that they were dangerous people with no sense of humor—just brutes encased in a layer of cold and careless character. 

But Harry was different. Harry had laughed and joked with him. Louis felt accomplished in a way.

“Be my guest,” Louis responded with a crooked smile, his shoulders shrugging as he placed his hands in the pockets of the pajamas.

Harry looked at him, his green eyes boring into the Omegas side profile. “Well, are you cold?”

”Sorta. I mean, don’t really have a shirt on,” Louis looked down at his bare torso, the acknowledgment of his lacking clothing making a chill cascade over his arms. “I guess I am kinda cold now that I think about it.”

He glanced quickly at Harry as the Alpha rose from his spot and neared the fire, his ringed hands coming out in front of him to feel the heat—that’s if there even was any with such a small flame. He crouched down and puckered his lips as he made a small ‘ _hm_ ’ sound. 

“I’ll start another fire. You can fetch a shirt from the dresser. I also made some hot soup for you,” Harry didn’t turn to look at him, but Louis shook his head in understanding.

”Will do,” Louis told him as he pushed himself up, his fingers wrapping around the armrest of the couch. 

For some odd reason, being around the Alpha made Louis forget things. When he pushed himself up, completely forgetting about his hurt side, he found himself falling back down with with a grunt. Harry furrowed his eyebrows at the sound and spun around to walk in a quick stride. He found himself instinctively towering over Louis, his shins hitting the edge of the couch as he leaned forward. He cursed under his breath as his green eyes searched the smaller body below him.

“Shit, I don’t know how I forgot about your side,” Harry had a paced tone as he looked at the yellowed bandage. “Let me get a shirt instead.” 

As Louis was getting himself situated, Harry turned around to grab the soup off the table and handed it carefully to him. Louis had no choice but to grab the bowl—thankfully it wasn’t too hot—and leaned into the backrest of the couch. The velvet of the furniture was soft and felt nice against his skin as he slowly leaned backwards, his body almost melting into the material. Harry quickly made his way around the furniture and walked over to the dresser, his long fingers pulling the silver knobs to the first compartment before digging through it. Louis observed him from his spot on the couch, the bowl still in his hands as he sat motionless. 

“Just a white shirt is good. I’m not too picky,” Louis threw in the statement when Harry had taken his time searching through the drawer. 

“Eat your soup, Lou,” Harry ordered him as he extracted a black silk shirt with short sleeves. 

Louis squinted his eyes at the shirt before looking at the back of his head. “First of all, I’m not hungry. Second of all, that shirt looks too expensive, and third of all, what’s with the nickname Lou? I have a full name.”

Harry closed the drawer and stalked towards the bed, his bottom lip in a semi pout and eyebrows scrunched in thought as the Alpha picked up something from the side of the bed that Louis couldn’t see. 

“First of all, I know you’re hungry because I stayed up with you all night. Your stomach was growling the _whole_ night,” Harry stalked back towards the couch and plopped down next to him, his leg tucked underneath his other as he leaned his side against the couch backrest. He had gauze in his hand, along with some medical tape and a wet, clean towel. “Second of all, all my shirts are expensive, and third of all, am I not allowed to call my little pet by his nickname?” 

“ _Little pet_? I am not little, you’re just too big,” Louis retaliated without hesitation.

He tried to take his mind off of the name by scooping some chicken noodle into his wooden spoon, not one glance being sent at the Alpha as he shoved the bite into his mouth. 

“Are you done?” Harry gave him a straight, unimpressed look as Louis placed the bowl back on the table.

”No.”

”Why?”

Louis glared at him as he crossed his arms, careful of his injured side. “If you get to call me little pet or Lou, I get to call you Jumbo.”

”Absolutely not, you twat!” Harry’s voice was high pitched as he let out a small laugh. Two dimples replaced the smoothness of his cheeks.

”Then call me Louis!” he replicated the Alphas high pitched voice, a laugh threatening to break through.

”Oh just shut up already,” Harry laughed as he looked down at the materials in his hands. “I gotta change your bandage before you can put on your shirt,” Harry threw the silk material at him, and when Louis caught it, an intense smell of rose invaded his nostrils. It smelled strongly like Harry, and he secretly didn’t mind it.

”I can’t wear this,” Louis stated as he held in it a ball in his opened palm. 

Harry leaned forward to place the supplies on the table. “Why can’t you? I thought you weren’t picky.”

”I’m not, it’s just that I was taught that wearing another persons clothes is basically a territorial, matey thing,” Louis responded. “The last time I checked, we're definitely not close to that.”

Harry looked at him with an eye roll. “You need something to wear, and that’s what I’m giving you. When you leave, I’ll give you something else if that’s what you really want, but as of now, that’s what you’re wearing in this household.”

 “Where’s my old shirt?” Louis tried to ignore the deep tone to the Alphas voice. “I can just wear that. I really don’t wanna get one of your shirts dirty.”

”God damnit, Louis,” this time, Louis stopped in his tracks.

They stared at each other, the crimson tint to the Omegas cheeks growing apparent as Harry’s eyes bored into him. His jaw was clenched and eyes low. When no one said a word and no muscle was moved, Louis broke the eye contact as he looked down at the bundle of silk, a sigh escaping his lips in a defeated _okay-you-win_ tone. 

“Thank you,” Harry looked away before reaching towards him.

Louis flinched, but his muscles relaxed when he watched the man remove his bandage from his side. It surprisingly didn’t hurt, and maybe it was because he was either too focused on looking at how big Harry’s hands were, or how his fingertips lightly brushed the soft skin of his side. Harry then placed the used material on the table before grabbing the wet towel and turning back towards Louis.

”Tell me if this hurts,” Harry pressed the towel to his injury, quickly but gently dabbing the area as Louis clenched his teeth. 

It wasn’t as bad as he thought, he could pull through the pain. 

“So, what happened to Sasha?” Louis asked as Harry pulled the towel away, his eyes squinting at the area to see how clean it was. 

“I threw her out to the rogues,” Harry bluntly responded as he placed the towel on the table and grabbed the gauze and tape.

He motioned Louis to sit back against the armrest and he obeyed. His mind was more focused on getting information out of the Alpha rather than the light fingertips that brushed his side. 

“Isn’t that dangerous? To throw her out to the rogues?” Louis cringed as a quick pressure was applied to his side. 

It wasn’t that he cared much for Sasha, he barely knew her, but he remembered being out there with just Sam and him. He remembered the pain, the running, and the constant hiding. And they were just children trying to survive a childhood that blew through their fingers like dust. 

“Yeah, but it’s better than being here. She was disowned by me, and when someone is disowned by the leader, the pack is basically against that being too. So yes, it’s dangerous out there, but it’ll be worse in here,” Harry bit the inside of his cheek as he taped the gauze down against Louis’ soft skin. 

The Omega watched as the other man’s long fingers played against the material to get it to stick. Once Harry pulled away, he grabbed the silk shirt and looked at Louis as the blue eyed man pulled himself back up to sit normally on the couch. He barely had any time to reposition himself before he felt the cold silk against his face, and then his shoulders, and then along his entire torso. The smell of roses invaded his nostrils and he inhaled, making his mouth water uncontrollably.

“Arms,” Harry ordered as Louis popped his head out from the top of the cold shirt.

He pushed his arms through the sleeves as the Harry ruffled Louis’ hair. Louis raised an eyebrow as he mumbled under his breath and sent a glare to Harry, who was currently standing up to stretch with a wide yawn escaping from his mouth. Louis noted the small patch of skin that shown between his lifted shirt and black jeans. It looked soft. _Kissable_.

He had to look down at his lap as he fixed his fringe, cursing to himself silently at how easily his inner wolf fell into the Alphas trap.

”The bandage needs to be looked at every few hours. If I’m not around, go to the clinic where Zayn works and he’ll patch it up for you. Other than that, I’ll find you to change it myself,” Harry told him as his arms swung back down to his sides.

Louis perked at the name of his friend, and he tilted his head as he looked up innocently at the Alpha. “Zayn? He’s okay?” 

Before Harry could answer, there was a knock at his door that made them both look. The Alpha didn’t make a move to get it, instead he looked at Louis and shook his head yes, some curls falling in front of his face as he did. The Omega sighed in relief as he fell backwards into the couch. 

“Thank god,” he mumbled under his breath before catching Harry squinting at him, his eyes glaring at the silk shirt he was wearing. “What?”

“I still haven’t gotten back to you about those details,” Harry stated, cursing under his breath as another knock came from the door. This time it sounded more stern.

“I’m aware of that fact, but you might wanna get the door first,” Louis motioned his head over to where the door was, signaling for him that the chat between the two of them was over—at least for now.

Harry took one last glance up and down Louis’ small frame that was sagging into the couch before he twisted in his spot. He trudged towards the door and when he was close enough, he cracked it open just inches, his body blocking out who was behind the door.

“What do you want, Clyde?” Harry asked between the crack, making Louis straighten up in an attempt to see who this mysterious Clyde was. 

“Leader Styles, I've called a meeting to address a situation. Reddairs people are rioting—“ the voice was in a whisper, but Louis could make the words out until Harry stopped the man. 

“Alright, alright. I’ll be there in a minute. I gotta take care of something first,” Harry pointed out before shooing the mystery man away.

“Who was that, Harry?” Louis asked as he watched the man run his fingers through his hair.

It took him a while to answer. Louis watched him shut the door before he gathered the old bandage from the table and threw it in a small wooden basket next to the fireplace. Louis observed Harry as he moved around the room before he found himself right back at the door, his hand turning the knob as he looked at the confused Omega.  

“Don’t worry about who it is. Just finish your soup and go back to bed. Watch the side,” Harry tapped at his own side to get the point across. “I’ll be back soon. And  _don’t_ leave this room, okay? If you need something, I got crutches in the corner. Other than that, I won’t be long.”

Louis shook his head in understanding as he watched the Alpha press his lips into a line. Louis looked towards the single chair in the corner of the room and noticed that there were, indeed, two wooden crutches sitting propped up behind it. He then looked back to watch Harry turn around and open the door before stepping out and closing it behind him. Once it was just the Omega left in the room, Louis slumped over the side of the couch and let out a defeated groan. 

There was no possibly way Louis was going to stay in this room. There was nothing to do but sleep, and sleeping wasn’t on his to do list—until later, of course. He pulled himself up and leaned forward against his lap to grab the bowl of soup from the table, it’s contents now cold as he set it to balance between his legs. 

The best he could do was find something before he went crazy with boredom. Maybe he could search for those papers that Harry had written on his kind. Not only would he be interested in reading them, but he’d also like to write some stuff down for Harry in return for helping him. 

Louis made a mental note to do just that.

 ❍

To say the least, Louis wasn’t good with directions. He lived the recent years of his life _giving_ directions—not _listening_ to them. So to say that he found himself wandering around the pack camp was one thing, but to have him obliviously find his way to the clinic was another thing. 

The clinic was another _really long_ cabin—he swore every building was a log one—but the wood was old and missing in some places, and there were no windows either. It was surrounded by large pine trees, and the only way to get there was to follow along a large dirt path from the main camp, right next to where the church was—the place that both Harry and Louis first meet. It was empty as he wobbled by it on his crutches, but he could still see the illumination of candles through the doorway as he struggled by.

Louis was currently standing a few feet from the clinic doors as he peered inside, his eyes searching the opening the best he could. His armpits were hurting from the pressure of the crutches and he was sure his knuckles were turning white from the tight grip he had on them. His right foot was currently inches off the ground as he leaned forward into the support the wood crutches gave him.

“You’re okay, it’s all good,” Louis told himself as he inhaled sharply. 

It wasn’t that he was nervous because of the fact he was stepping into a clinic. In fact, he was excited to go in to see Zayn. He wanted to make sure the man was okay and he also had every intention to ask him why he ran yesterday. 

No, he was nervous because he didn’t know how much time he had left until Harry was to come back and see his room empty. He didn’t know what the man would do if one of his rules had been broken—so he had to make the reunion with all three of his friends quick, first starting with Zayn.

Louis took in a deep breath before pulling himself along with the crutches. It took him a while to cross the distance, not being use to having to use support, and he slowly lifted himself up onto each step before reaching the top. He gathered his breath as he neared the door and when he found himself halfway through the entryway, his eyes first scanned the room he entered.

It was just a cube shaped room. There were old wooden chairs and benches leaning on each wall, and right across from the entry was another closed door. Right next to it was a signed nailed into the wood, it reading ‘ _Please Take A Seat And Wait_.”

Louis then realized that right next to that sign happened to be a small painting, it’s focus directed on a man with a sharp jawline and green, piercing eyes. But his hair was styled similar to Louis’ with it upward into a fringe. His features were more soft and babylike, making him look younger than the present time. Louis looked down at the golden frame to notice the words ‘ _Leader Styles ~ 18 Year_ ’ carved into it.

A small smile dragged along his lips as he thought about a younger Harry. He wondered what he was like, if he was as obsessed with the pure Omega like he was now, or if he had problems with coming to terms that he was the last of his bloodline—just like Louis had.

The next thing that Louis happened to realize was that half the people sitting around in the chairs instantly turned their heads to glare at him. The looks contained wide eyes and hanging mouths. Once Louis’ eyes connected with their gazes, they looked away within seconds, their cheeks red with embarrassment.

Was something wrong with him?

Louis gulped as he found the nearest chair to sit in. He lowered himself down carefully and placed the crutches between his legs so they wouldn’t clatter to the ground. The man right next to him seemed to turn himself away from the Omega as soon as he took a seat, and Louis furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the man.

He was older than Louis by far, his hair a little grey at the roots and face sharp as he stared forward. He was motionless like a stone statue. The smell coming off from him was that of a Hell hound Beta—a kind that Louis wasn’t very fond of. 

“Is something wrong?” Louis whispered to the man, irritated at the sudden looks he got from the people around him. They all turned away when Louis looked at them.

The man looked at him, his brown eyes filling with fear as he looked into Louis’ blue ones. He then looked down at the black silk shirt Louis currently had on before looking away and coughing into his elbow.

”I have to go,” the man stated before basically bolting out the door. 

Louis would’ve found it weird if it wasn’t for a sudden realization that had snapped inside of him. He looked down at his shirt.

He was still wearing Harry’s shirt. It reeked of Leader Styles, and for all these pack members sitting in the room, they could probably smell it too. He could only imagine all the thoughts they had. 

“Ah crap,” Louis mumbled under his breath.

How in the world did he forget to change into a different shirt? Or even his pants? Neither material was his, and now here he was, sitting in a room full of people who now had the suspicion that some random Hell Hound Alpha—who’s not really one—was wearing something of their leaders. 

And wearing another ones clothing was an act of claiming someone. 

Louis slowly shoved his face into his open palms, his body slumping in the chair in defeat as he signed into his hands.

“Damn it,” he whispered, making sure it was inaudible to the others around him. “This is it, I’m probably gonna die.” 

Louis picked his head up lazily to the sound of a creaking door. He surveyed the room quickly before peering directly at Zayn. He watched as his friends nostrils flared to gather the intoxicating scent, and when his eyes landed on Louis, his eyes went wide and his mouth hung. He stood in the doorway, staring quietly before he snapped out of his expression within a fraction of a second. He looked down at a folded paper in his hands. 

“Next up is Louis Tomlinson,” Zayns voice was trembling as his grip began to crinkle the paper. 

Louis took no extra time to gather himself up in his crutches and cross the room, his mind telling him to ignore all the glares before he was stopped just inches within the next hallway. Zayn shut the door behind him before he twisted towards Louis, his eyes searching the Omega as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. 

“Why the hell do you smell like that?” Zayn asked, referring to the aroma of Harry from the shirt.

Before Louis could dive into an explanation, he was wrapped into a hug that caused him to gasp and cringe from the pain. Once Zayn realized, he pushed himself away from the embrace and looked Louis over. 

“What happened?!” Zayn roared as he looked between the crutches. “Here, sit down,” he urged Louis forward into a room just to the left of them. 

When they entered, Louis realized that is was just occupied with empty chairs and tables of the sort. There was a small pitcher of water in the corner, and a large candle sat on the wall opposite to give the room exposure to some form of light. There were no paintings, but he noticed small pieces of paper with crayons littering one of the tables in the other corner. 

“Here,” Zayn pulled out a chair closest to the door and urged him to sit down. 

Once Louis found himself comfortable in his chair and placed the crutches behind him, he waited patiently for Zayn to take his seat across from him. 

“I’ll tell you everything, but you gotta promise that you won’t repeat this to anyone,” Louis placed his elbow on the table, his pinky waving in the air as Zayn looked at it.

He felt relieved when Zayn took it by his own; their pinkies lacing together in a small knot. He and Sam always use to do what they called “Pinky Laces,” which Louis was sure was actually called “Pinky Promise,” but he didn’t dare correct Sam. 

Louis started out his story when he first entered into the church and meet Harry. The green eyed Alpha was oblivious then and still was, but Louis never bothered to mention to Zayn the fact that he was, indeed, the last pure Omega to grace the planet. His secret was most likely going to be spilled sometime, but at this point of time, especially in such an early phase, he wasn’t going to do it himself. No thanks. 

He made sure to include the reason why he also smelled insanely like Harry. He told him of how he ran after them, then ended up falling on one of Liam’s daggers, to which Zayn apologized on his mates behalf. Louis didn’t question why he had a bag full of daggers, but he felt like he didn’t need to anyways. Liam was the lead hunter, he probably needed them for something, right?

”Anyways, I wanted to make sure you guys were alright. I didn’t know why you left or where you all went,” Louis finished off as Zayn scratched nervously at his scalp. 

“Yeah, we’re good. I just don’t like seeing people die, you know? I’m a doctor, I like helping people. But watching them die? It’s not my thing,” Zayn let out a deep sigh before continuing. “It’s like an instinct to run whenever I see something like that that I can’t help, you know?” 

Louis shook his head. He felt like he could understand the Alpha, even if he hasn’t been in his shoes exactly. 

“Don’t worry Zayn, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Louis smiled at him. “I mean, you just spent a good five minutes listening to me gossip, the least I can do is understand something that you’re deeply passionate about.”

Zayn smiled at him, a white set of straight teeth breaking through the crack between his lips. “Thanks Louis, really.”

Louis chuckled before movement at the door caught his eye. He turned fully to peer at the image of an old women, her hair pure white and face full of deep wrinkles. Her eyes were a clouded gray as she reached a weak limb out, a tiny finger pointing at Louis in a _definitely-not-creepy_ way. She was sitting upwards in a rolling bed, a white sheet covering up just until her waist as her other fist enclosed on the white shirt she wore.

He didn’t know whether he should wave or smile back at her, so he sat awkwardly while staring at her as she was rolled slowly across. Her mouth opened but closed as quickly as it did. Zayn spun in his chair to see what Louis was glaring at, and when he saw the old women, he turned back to Louis and motioned over to where she was just seconds before she disappeared.

”Who was that?” Louis questioned quietly.

”That right there was Rwanda. She’s losing her sight rapidly and needs daily checkups, but she can see shapes and blurs of things. That’s about it though. She’s also our spiritual guide, claims to know everything and deep secrets. She’s ancient,” Zayn pinched at the bridge of his nose as he sneezed. “Within the next year or two, it’s most likely lights out for her.”

Louis raised his eyebrow. “Do you think she knows everyone’s deep secrets?” 

“Honestly? Yeah, she knows anything. I guess it comes with going blind—says you gotta give up something for a gift like hers. But she’s definitely a spiritual one alright, she’s old and even  claims to have a connection with God himself,” Zayn told him. 

A small silence fell between them two as Louis was left in thought. “Do you believe in her?”

Zayn shrugged his shoulders. “All I can say is that there’s been things that she knew about me, things that I’ve never told anyone before.”

Louis tilted his head to the side while listening to his friend, his fingernails digging into his sweaty palms. He found his cheeks growing red and he looked down at his shirt.

”Yeah, that’s a little weird, huh?” Louis ran his fingers through his hair before looking back up. He made a mental note to keep away from Rwanda...or maybe she already knew of his secret? Maybe all it took was one look. “Do you know where Niall is? Is he alright?”

”Of course he is, Niall is always alright,” Zayn joked before his smile faded at Louis’ nervous state. “He’s a scout, so he’s probably at the scouting house,” he paused before quickly adding. “Is everything okay, Louis? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Louis shook his head and tried his best to attempt a wide, crooked smile. “I’m good. Just tired.”

”Would you like me to look at the bandage first before you leave?” Zayn asked as Louis stood up, his hands grabbing at the crutches behind him.

”Nope,” Louis pushed his head forward and smiled a tight lipped smile, his eyes crinkling at the sides before he turned away to journey towards the door. “I’m as perfect as can be. Thank you.” 

Louis pushed himself out the door without another word, his eyes scanning the small hallway for Rwanda before he exited through the door to the so called waiting room. No one had moved a muscle since he left, and when he opened the door, all eyes landed on him as he tried his best to leave in lightening speed. 

He and Harry had a lot to talk about. That’s if Harry wasn’t going to kill him after hearing about the fact that Louis was wearing his shirt around the pack camp, potentially throwing rumors around about their “ _affairs_ ”. 

Yup, Louis was going to die. But he had to see Niall first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m kinda wondering what you guys are predicting for the moment when Harry figures out what Louis is. 
> 
> Here’s a comment task for you guys: write down what you guys think will happen.


	10. Traitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a sudden motivation to write nonstop, but at the current moment that I'm typing this note, it's 2:30 in the morning. I need to sleep so by the time I wake up, I really hope that motivation is still there because that means I can publish more chapters, that way there's not a wait for you guys. AND IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT.
> 
> WARNING: There is a dead body in this chapter, but I didn't go into description of it because I didn't know how you guys would feel about that. Usually I get squeamish about that stuff. Oops.
> 
> I really wasn’t paying attention to grammar and sentence structure in the last half of this chapter because I’m tired and wanted to get this out to you guys, so excuse it. I’ll edit in the morning. <3 ENJOY

When Louis found what they call the Scouting House—he wasn’t proud that he had to ask over two strangers where it was—he felt like he wanted to topple over in joy and just forget about everything. The work he put into his arms while wandering around the whole pack camp while searching made him just want to drop, and with it being the end of July, it still consisted of hot weather and, oh, did he forgot to mention hot weather?

This time there were no stairs or log cabins in front of him. Instead sat what looked like a clochán hut. It was a large cone shaped structure made from small brown and gray stones, an archway right smack dab in the middle of it without any door. That was basically it for the structure, there wasn’t much to the hut, and if he was being honest, it looked like it had potential for an upgrade. But again, there was nothing to upgrade, which explained how basic the small building was.

And despite its size, there were large evergreen trees surrounding the small stone house and blocking it from view of the trail, but as long as Louis could find it and make his way to it with the crutches, which he could, then he was fine with it.

However, the bad thing was the location, for you could easily get confused, as the house was one of the four buildings in the little dead end of the trail where it was situated. There was the Scouting House, Hunting House, and the Warrior House that sat in a C-shaped path, and they all looked the exact same if you were to ask Louis. If you were to imagine a little black dot in the middle of the C, that was where a building sat to hold all the pack meetings. All four buildings were made of stone, but the structure in the middle was more like a large stone house with windows and doors, whereas the others only had archways without any doors.

But despite that, Louis couldn't really care much about the architecture at the moment. All he could focus on was the blonde boy standing in the middle of the hut, his back to Louis as he looked down at something on the table inside. He couldn't be very quiet when sneaking up on his friend with the crutches, so he wobbled over with all his weight rested into his wooden support system. They cracked every time he put them back down on the ground and under his weight, which caused Niall to turn his head to look at him. When their eyes meet, Niall raced forward before skidding at the image of his friend in crutches.

"What have ya done, lad?!" Niall yelled in his Irish accent before his nostrils flared as his eyes scanned Louis’ shirt. There were no words spoken, but he could tell from the look in Niall’s eye that he was questioning the strong scent of Harry on...well...Harry's shirt that Louis was currently wearing, but the Omega kept quiet.

"It's a long story but to sum it up, I fell down a hill," Louis told him before motioning into the stone hut, wishing to change the subject. "What's in there?"

Louis pushed forward to look inside, trying to find as much time to stay around his friend. Niall had a calming, collected vibe that Louis took a liking to, so even an extra ten seconds around the blonde was good, at least compared to being holed up in Harry’s room—not that he really minded though.

But then again, Louis had to be careful on time and he still needed to find Liam. He knew he had to make the visit short.

When Louis entered the hut, the heat inside clung to his skin in just a matter of seconds. It seemed hotter within the stone wall barricade, and he groaned silently in protest to the heat hitting him all at once. Louis was an Omega, meaning they were more prone to heat stroke and heat exhaustion than the others, and it also didn’t help that he happened to be a Pure Omega, which doubled his chances. 

In an attempt to take his mind off the heat, he looked around the hut and took it all in. In the middle sat a large wooden table that had all sorts of materials laid out on it; a map of the territory, small wooden pins, a small vase of red ink and some feathered pens. All along the large back wall was different sorts of black armor, the helmets and the representing stripes from what they were sitting just above. Louis noticed that there were only two helmets with a yellow stripe and he knew one was Niall’s, for yellow was the color to represent Omegas. The rest were all mixed of orange and red.

Louis wondered if all the other houses were the same. He imagined they were, except for the warrior house since it seemed to be just a little bit bigger then the other two huts. He imagined himself putting some of the armor on, of being part of the pack and contributing to the fight of the Werewolves. Despite him being one himself, he felt more at home within the Hellhound territory.

And maybe that was just because he knew that he was safe either way. His secret wasn’t out, of course, and he still tricked everyone into thinking that he was just another Hell hound Alpha. If his secret was out, Harry would probably despise anything that even touched Louis, so it wasn’t like the rest of the pack could attempt to _kill_ him. Like Harry said, being the pack leader meant that whoever he disowned, the pack did too. And he wouldn’t disown Louis: the thing he’s been searching and researching for years. 

Unless Harry found anger in Louis finding his secret? He could see it. He was practically manipulating the pack leader and it put all of them in danger. Louis just hoped that Harry wouldn’t be to the point of ‘ _I’m gonna kill you_ ’ mad. No, if his secret was to come out, everyone knew there was much more potential to exist between Louis and Harry. Harry wouldn’t harm the Pure Omega. 

Niall pulled Louis from his deep thoughts, his fingertips brushing the soft map as he looked around. Louis gripped the crutches tighter to keep himself from falling back into the thoughts.

"It's just the scouting house. We plan scouts and all our gear is in here. But that's not the point,” Niall turned to his friend, his eyes scanning Louis’ body. “What happened? I wanna hear every single detail about how you busted ya leg or foot or..." Niall squinted his eyes as he noticed no cast over any part of Louis’ lower limbs, his gaze questioning as he raised his eyebrow. "Where exactly did you get hurt?"

Louis couldn't help but laugh. His friend's gaze searched his legs once more before glancing up to look at Louis' eyes.

"It's my side. Remember how I said I fell down a hill? Yeah, well, when I fell I had Liam's bag with me. It was full of small daggers—still not sure why—and one found its home in my right side. I can't step with my right foot or it sends a pain up my whole side, so Harry let me burrow some crutches until it gets better," Louis motioned to the wooden sticks under his armpits that he took the time to readjust.

Niall gave him a weird look, one that registered as more confused than any other expression. "So you and Harry are totally up to something then. He doesn’t let people use his stuff."

“We're not up to anything, Niall. Harry and I? Just friends,” Louis smiled to make the statement seem believable.

Niall made a tsking noise as he shook his head. He folded his arms over his chest and puckered his lips. Louis knew that the blonde Omega didn’t trust him, and he had every reason to. 

“So explain the shirt,” Niall flicked his wrist at the black shirt material. “What exactly does wearing his shirt mean? At least besides for announcing that you two are close and in the mating stage of your relationship that you apparently _don’t_ have.”

Louis didn’t answer. He find himself instinctively pouting and he blinked his gaze away from the blonde. Niall moved his head to the side to gather Louis’ attention back. 

“I can’t even smell you, Louis. You smell of him, like, his smell overpowers yours to the point where if I didn’t know the both of you, I would think it’s how you originally smelled,” Niall pointed out, to which Louis released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Thank god for the topic change.

"Oh, believe me, I _know_ ," Louis could still feel the eyes on him from the clinic and he cringed internally at the type of attention he got. He wondered if Harry knew by now? If word had spread as fast and wide as he thought it would. Surely anything involving their leader was important, right? "I went to visit Zayn to see what was up with him this morning. It was a quick in and out just to reassure me that he was alright after yesterday, and everyone stared at me because of the shirt. I think Harry might actually kill me when he hears that I've been wondering around smelling like him and wearing his shirt. Do you know the rumors that are probably stirring in the pot right now?"

"Probably a lot, I can only imagine," Niall shook his head before rubbing at his forehead. "Anyways, I'm glad you stopped by. I felt guilty for basically ditching you last night after chasing Zayn and Liam. It was Omega instinct to chase after an Alpha in distress, I'm not sure if you'd understand it if I explained," Niall pressed his lips together as he watched Louis blink away an unreadable expression.

"Yeah, I don't think I'd understand it. With me being an Alpha, it's a whole different situation up here, I guess?" Louis tapped at his head, his voice slow as he thought about what to say next. Instead he kept quiet. He wasn't a really good liar, but Niall didn't seem to catch onto anything. "But what happened last night wasn't your fault. Instincts are instincts and you can't help that."

Niall smiled at Louis, and Louis returned a genuine one back, the left side of his smile slightly higher than the right.

"How did you even get back, if I may ask? If I had a dagger in my side, I would probably have just bled out right there," Niall joked as he lifted his fist to playfully punch at Louis' arm, but he dropped it when he remember that his friend was still, in fact, injured at the moment.

Louis looked down at his side while thinking about whether he should be truthful to Niall or to produce a straight out lie. He didn't want to fabricate a made up situation, but he also didn't want his friend to dig around in his life while trying to find out what was going on between him and Harry. Not even Louis knew, and he couldn't take the chance of Niall finding something much more than he bargained for.

But since Louis was such a bad liar when it came to the blonde and he wasn't the best when it came to making up stories on the spot, he decided to go with the truth. But just this once. At least in a situation like this that could make his friend suspicious enough to go diving in his very personal life.

"Harry helped me," Louis was short to the point, and when Niall opened his mouth to ask anymore questions, he cut him off quickly. "And don't ask me why he was there with me in the middle of nowhere because I don't have an answer for that. He saw me fall, helped me up, and walked an unconscious me back _here_ like any other pack leader would do for an injured pack member."

Louis made sure not to go into detail about what he meant when he said _here_. He didn't want to go any further about how he fell asleep and woke up in Harry's room, was delivered soup by the man himself and forced to wear his shirt. 

"So he helped you back to the camp? Did he bandage up the wound too and lend you an extra shirt and pants himself? Because you know he could’ve easily just taken you to the clinic and left you there," Niall raised one of his eyebrows, a smirk crossing his face.

”He did take me to the clinic,” Louis lied, but Niall saw right through it.

”Yeah, right, because that explains why you’re wearing _his_ clothes and not the clothes the clinic offers. Same with the crutches, the clinic doesn’t offer them, and from the looks of those,” Niall pointed at the wooden support system under Louis’ arms, “those are new. Like, _brand_ new, and I’ve never seen them before. I also know Harry never uses crutches. Which means he must’ve _made_ them for you.”

Louis could feel his cheeks growing hot. “You don’t know that. They could’ve been hiding somewhere and never been used.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t answer the question on who bandaged it and why you’re wearing his clothes?” Niall spoke, his gaze scrutinizing Louis.

Louis couldn't exactly say that Harry was or wasn't the one to actually bandage him up since he was unconscious the time it was taken care of, at least the first time the injury was tended to. He shrugged his shoulders. "I woke up in my tipi with it already bandaged. Same with the clothing."

"Hm," Niall rubbed at his chin as he looked Louis up and down. He had a playful glint in his eyes, however, so Louis didn't feel too under pressure. "Sounds like something shady is going on between the newbie and the leader."

"You're overreacting," Louis threw in, to which he was given a _are-you-for-real-right-now_ look from the blonde.

He just laughed it off before his laughter faded away, as well as Niall's smile. He heard a shout from behind him, and then his name fell from the lips of the pure Alpha Hell hound that his inner Omega was head over heels for. Louis turned slowly, and not for the dramatic effect either, he just had a hard time moving with the crutches.

"Louis?" Harry stood outside the door of the pack meeting building, a few men drawing out the building and stopping near their leader.

Somehow, he found the courage to speak under the hot gaze sent from Harry. "That's me," Louis said, unaware if he was heard from the distance they were standing from.

Harry beckoned him forward with his finger, moving it like a worm as he stared the Omega down like a predator would to a prey. Louis had no choice but to follow along with his instructions, almost dying of a heart attack when he pushed himself out of the Scouting House and into the direct sunlight. Niall decided to stay back.

The fact that Louis was wearing Harry's shirt was on full display, and Louis watched the Alpha's face for any sort of negative reaction, but when he neared closer and stopped in front on him, Harry raised his hand to fix the collar of the shirt. It caught the Omega by surprise. He expected Harry to yell or do something about the fact that Louis was walking around in his shirt, but there was no action taken—at least not serious action. 

When Harry was done fixing the collar, he slid his hand to rest gently on Louis' shoulder and turned to everyone, their gazes questioning as they glanced between the two of them. Louis was sure that Harry was oblivious to the emotions that he was causing Louis to feel, which was caused by the longing touch on his shoulder. He had to force himself not to rest the side of his face against the hard knuckles, his inner wolf trying to break out for skin to skin contact.

"This is Louis, this is who I was talking about," Harry smiled as he motioned to Louis with his head.

Louis furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Harry. He was talking about him? Louis' head felt like it was about to explode and he couldn't quite help the feeling in his chest that felt like a fluttering kick to his ribs. _Screw_ his inner Omega. _Screw_ Harry. _Screw_ everything, Harry _talked_ about him to other people high up in the pack, which means something serious was to go down, right?

”Ah, yes. This is Louis,” a man spoke as he stepped forward, his thumbs through the ringlets of his jeans. “The names Clyde Magendale. I’m the War General.” 

Louis gave him a small forced smile. “A pleasure to meet you.”

The way Clyde held himself made Louis uneasy, almost as if there was something behind his character that rang trouble. His eyes were a dark, dangerous brown, body tense and gaze always searching. Louis found himself taking a step back, no one seeming to notice the uneasy state that he felt currently. He tried to focus on something else as he looked away, still aware of Clyde’s gaze burning into his face.

Harry pointed at everyone while announcing their names and at every person, Louis smiled in return. They were all Alphas and no Betas or Omegas, their bodies taller and built stronger than that of Louis. Their scents were also more intense, invading Louis’ nostrils like there was no tomorrow. But Harry’s scent was the strongest, reigning dominance over all the others and drawing him in like a bee to honey. He bit has lip to stop himself from falling overboard and forced himself to pay more attention. When the last person came in view, Louis perked up and smiled before anyone could mention who it was. 

“Liam!” Louis attempted to push forward in his crutches to get close to the Alpha, the biggest smile dressing his face.

However, Louis didn’t get far when he felt a tug at the bottom of his shirt. He knew it was from Harry, his inner Alpha instinctively finding its way to the surface to keep the Omega away from other Alphas, so Louis stopped in his tracks, but he was too excited to see Liam to even process the tug through his mind. He was just lucky that no one seemed to notice beside for Clyde, who sent a clenched jaw and squinting eyes Harry’s way, his facial expression a judging one.

Liam was smiling at Louis’ reaction to seeing him. “Louis! I got good news for you!”

Harry looked at Louis, a small toothless smile slowly making its way onto his face as he watched the Omega look at Liam excitingly. Harry was in complete awe at the way Louis’ eyes shone brighter, or how his mouth hung halfway in a smile, just patiently waiting for the news to be addressed.

”Harry brought it up during the meeting, so thank him. But we all thought it would be a good idea for you to become a hunter, to get to know the ropes of everything and stretch your legs a little,” Liam told him as he moved a little closer so Louis could hear him better. “What do you think about that?”

Louis saw from the corner of his eye that Harry straightened his posture, making sure that he was towering over Liam, and sent a menacingly glare to the Hunting Leader, the sudden proximity of Liam slightly alarming his inner Alpha. Harry bit his lip as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, taking a small step to be closer to Louis. 

“No way,” Louis spoke as if he just heard the most shocking news in his life, his eyes wide in sheer surprise. To have a job of as a hunter was one thing, but having it just handed to him? Of course he was going to take it! “Can I start today?”

”No,” Harry answered and in swift time. “Not today. Not in crutches. We all agreed for you to start sometime next week.”

”But why not today? You brought up the idea of me being a hunter, the least you can do is go through with it in the same day. Kinda set it in stone,” Louis returned Harry’s glare, the eye contact stirring little tension from between them. 

He understood why Harry wouldn’t want him out in the woods in crutches, but he also understood that he needed to find something to distract him. He was tired of sitting around or wandering around the pack camp aimlessly. It was about time he had the option to get out there and do what he missed; he grew up with his family practically living isolated in the woods, not in a camp where he walked around just waiting for someone to see pass his lie.

He's around too many people when he's inside the camp, but being out in the woods would let him have his space to himself. He wouldn't have to worry about having to constantly hide who he was from people twenty-four-seven. 

“Louis, I’m not gonna allow it,” Harry retaliated.

”But you should. I need to go out and do something besides sit around. I want to learn my way around the land and get out there,” Louis was dead set on getting Harry to agree with him. 

Harry crossed his arms and put all his weight in one foot, his jaw clenched as he listened to Louis. It looked like Harry was a father ready to discipline his child, but Louis wasn’t his child, and Harry certainly wasn’t his father. 

“I think you should let him go. We’ll just walk some of the hunting trails to give him a feeling of what it’s like. I’ll be right next to him all the way,” Liam tried to help back up Louis’ reasoning. 

They all waited for Harry to answer, the other pack members still watching and waiting around for whatever it was they needed. Harry was quiet, his eyes searching the ground in thought as he bit his knuckle. Clyde was the one to break the silence next. 

“Listen to the boy, Harry. It’ll be nice to get some time away from Louis, huh?” Clyde pointed across from him and at Louis before he rested his hands back on his hips. 

Harry released his knuckle from between his teeth and looked at Clyde, his fists clenching as their gaze burned into each other. At the end, Clyde was the one to turn away. There was something about the gaze of a Pure Alpha Hell hound that kept others from staring too long. Maybe it was because they were at the top of the food chain and were threatening in every other way possible. Eye contact was like a form of dominance, and the way people held themselves around Harry showed that he ruled over all. No one claimed eye contact for more than three seconds, no one dared to touch him, and everyone obeyed his orders (Louis was an exception though.)

Harry was intimidating, and Louis knew that fact by heart. 

“If Louis isn’t by my side, I’ll worry,” Harry admitted openly to everyone.

Everyone seemed shocked at that statement. Never had Harry ever admitted to worrying about someone, so to hear the words sent confusing expressions around the small crowd. It wasn’t the fact that he didn’t even try to hide it from everyone, it was the way he bluntly said it, as if after everything, Louis wearing his shirt wasn’t enough to stir the pot of rumors. However, Clyde didn’t make the situation any better. 

“That’s the point, you’re worrying over a newbie, Harry. He's just an Alpha,” Clyde pointed out, almost as if fighting over another person in front of the other pack members was an average everyday thing. 

Louis sorta expected for Harry to fight the statement back, despite it being the half truth. He wasn't just an Alpha, he was _the_ Pure Omega. He was the newbie that just so happened to be the only thing Harry was yearning for. Clyde may have not been around them for too long, but he was quick to observe and evaluate the situation at hand. Clyde was cold and put Louis in his place, he made him feel as if he wasn't important and just another pack member, when in reality, Louis was probably the most important one there when it came to everyone besides Harry. 

And to make matters even worse, it was like something clicked in Harry. He straightened his shoulders and then shook his head as he waved his hand in a flicking motion. He looked at Liam, not even bothering to send a glare to Louis, and ran his hands through his long hair.

”You know, just go for it. You guys can do whatever. I don't care,” Harry sounded irritated, but Louis could still pinpoint a slight tone of worry in his voice. Maybe even regret or guilt. But it changed hard and cold within a fraction of a second. “We still have things to do, so go and hurry it up. I expect you to be back within an hour. If I have to fetch you myself, you're gonna be in some deep shit. Do you hear me?"

Liam shook his head in understanding, unaware of the pained expression that crossed Louis’ face as he submitted to Harry, his head hanging low and body slumping just a little. "Yes, sir."

Louis didn't like seeing this side of Harry, the side that was meant for a leader to torture his soldiers into submission. He didn't act like that towards Louis, but to watch him show that side of him to Liam, his loving friend, felt like a blow to the heart.

Another thing that felt like a blow to Louis' heart was the feeling of his inner wolf being rejected by Harry’s. Yes, he wanted to go out and check the hunting trails, yes, he needed to stay away from Harry so his inner Omega didn’t betray him. But for Louis, it felt like another dagger was pushed into his side as Clyde questioned the situation. Not only did he bring suspicion to stir in the others, but he brought awareness to the feelings that were between him and Harry only, and for Harry's reaction to just push them away, to push _Louis_ away, hurt him. More than it should of. 

And the fact that Harry didn’t even look at him one last time as he turned and walked away, Clyde and everyone else--besides for Liam--following him, also pained him. They all kept walking farther and farther from Louis, and every step that Harry took made him want to yell at him to come back. To fight for him and to destroy Clyde with his pure Alpha Hell hound powers. 

But the only thing that would ever bring that situation to real life was if Louis was to yell out that he was the Pure Omega. That he felt Clyde was intruding into their relationship that they didn’t even have. He wanted Harry to punch Clyde in the mouth for calling Louis a newbie, or for even questioning what they had between them without themselves exactly knowing what they had.

And that was the bad thing. He was expecting Harry to do the dirty work now. If Clyde was to say that at a time where Louis didn’t know Harry, he would’ve punched him right then and there.

But now his Omega was snuggling right into Harry, getting cozy and making itself a home in the protection and love that an Alpha could provide for him. His Omega was going weak on him, and Louis was determined to shut that down real quick. 

I guess you could say he was overreacting and that he was dramatic, but when his inner Omega felt betrayed for the first time romantically—if you were to even call it that—he wanted to sit down and cry right then and there, to scream and curse at how nature made his body this way. After all the years of being closed off and trapping his inner self, it only took a few days for Harry to blow it all down. 

And Louis couldn’t have that.

With a sudden rage, Louis shrugged off the black silk shirt he had on and threw it on the ground. He didn’t care how expensive it was or that he was shirtless, it didn’t mean anything to him and he didn't want to be reminded of a man that turned his back on him—despite him not knowing the actual situation. He also pushed the crutches away from his side and left them there as they clattered to the dusty ground. He wanted to feel the pain as he walked. It would distract him from his emotions and make him feel back at home like before, when it was just him and Sam. 

It was sad when pain reminded him of home.

Liam stood confused as he watched Louis’ small hissy fit. When the Omega tried walking, his right leg in a limp and body screaming for support, Liam lurched forward to help. Louis pushed him away instantly and found himself limping forward in the slowest pace ever, his teeth clenched together through the pain.

“Take me to the trails, I need to walk or do something,” Louis told Liam who walked beside him, readying himself to catch Louis in case he stepped the wrong way.

”Not without your crutches,” Liam pointed at the wooden sticks just a few feet from behind them.

”Screw the crutches. I’m fine,” Louis’ voice was firm enough to the point where it shut Liam up. 

He didn’t need crutches. He was Louis friggin’ Tomlinson, the most badass Pure Omega, and feelings weren’t going to get in his way. 

❍

After a while, Louis got use to the pain in his side. It was now a dull throb that was there to constantly remind him of how stupid he was that night, when he tumbled down the hill after Harry had chased him. He should've just turned around, made his way back to the ceremony, and waited until everyone else left. If he would've done that, his life would be so much easier right now. But instead, all Louis housed inside was anger that he couldn’t relieve or express to anyone. No one knew what Louis was, so it wasn’t like he could just go out and ask for advice. No, he still needed time to get use to everything, and having a grudge against Harry—the only person who would most likely make him feel better—wasn’t going to work either. He hated Harry for something that he couldn't control, and he hated himself for putting Harry in the position where he was forced to push Louis away, despite his body telling him not to.

He didn't need to know Harry that well to understand what his body wanted. What his thoughts were. They were connected in ways no other kinds were, and what was between them was more intense than some regular bond. It was nature impatiently playing its course, trying to push Louis and Harry together like two perfect puzzle pieces without any time.

Louis hated the fact that he felt connected to Harry in a way his body was forced. He always imagined finding someone trustworthy way down the road and getting to know them before feelings hit him in full force. He wanted time and patience for his mind and body to adjust to his significant other. But with Harry, it was the complete opposite.

There was no time. No patience. His body and mind were made around Harry, and the other way around. He was made specifically for a pure Alpha Hell hound, and because of that, everything in him yearned for Harry. It sucked to think about, but it was the truth. Nature had a way of playing a game, and in the end, the players were exhausted.

"So what happened? To your side, I mean," Liam pulled Louis back to reality with his question.

They were walking down a dirt path, just the two of them side by side together. The air was now breezy and cool against his skin as the day progressed, and squirrels and rabbits constantly crossed the paths as they talked between each other. Trees, small swamps, and bushes dressed both sides of the trail, giving them both an interesting scenery to look at as they continued.

“I fell down a hill. I don't wanna go into much detail about it," Louis glanced at Liam before he quickly looked away.

He didn't want to bring up the story about how one of his daggers had impaled him in the side. He could imagine the guilt that would probably weigh on the man. But speaking of, Louis never got the bag back to Liam and he never asked, so he crossed his fingers behind his back that there wouldn’t be any questions regarding it. For all he know, the bag was probably still at the bottom of the hill. 

"I respect that," Liam put his hands up in surrender in almost a joking manner, a smile pulling onto his lips as he kept a slow pace with Louis.

“What happened with you? Where'd you guys go running off to when Zayn ran?" Louis flipped the subject.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck with his palm as he kicked at a pebble, it's location unknown as it rolled off the trail. "He just ran into the woods. You should've seen him, Louis. He was an absolute mess."

Louis didn’t know what to say. He gave his friend a small pat on the back as if stating that he silently understood the situation. He wasn't sure if the touch was reassuring to Liam, but he at least put the effort in to show support for the man, despite just meeting him hours before. 

Liam continued to speak when Louis remained silent. "It sucks to see your other half just break in your hands with no way to stop it. You wanna help but you can't, and Zayn is so sensitive for being an Alpha that every little thing makes him cry. I mean every. Little. Thing."

Louis listened to his friend talk without any interruption. Every time Liam paused, Louis would send a glance his way telling him to continue, to let everything out that he couldn't around everyone else. Louis wished he could spill to Liam about his secret, but he knew it wouldn't be the brightest idea.

He just wished Liam could somehow detect that he, too, needed to let everything out that he couldn't around everyone else, and maybe he was selfish for thinking about himself at that moment. But could you honestly blame him? Walking around with one of the biggest secrets ever sorta put big baggage on his mind and he always had to think about what he said, what he does, and etc to stay in the clear. 

But it isn't his fault, right?

"I know that I bonded with Zayn knowing what I was in store for, but sometimes it's just so hard that I wonder what it would be like to be with someone else," he paused to let it sink in between them, but once he realized how negative it sounded, he jumped to fix it with a staggering voice. "Of course, I'd never accept an..anyone else, but his break downs tear me apart every time. And I can't help him. He pushes me away and it makes me feel like the worst mate in the world. Do you know how much I would give up for him? What I would give up for him? Absolutely everything and anything," Liam rubbed at his eyebrow before sighing, his throat bobbing as he swallowed some saliva.

Louis felt for his friend. They weren’t in the exact problem despite the mate part, but with his current situation with Harry, he could feel the pain of having to hold back on things to not hurt the person you’re close to. You weren’t sure how they would react. Maybe they’d run away, or maybe they’d decide to tear your flesh away from your own body because you hid something so important that could change the future of their pack.  He was sure that when, or if, Harry was to figure out about Louis’ real identity, that last option would totally be the one he’d go for.

"I'm not sure why I'm ranting to you, but you just have this vibe that rings good and trustworthy. You're a great asset to the pack, Louis,” Liam added in, throwing an arm around Louis’ shoulders playfully.

The Omega smiled while mumbling a small thank you. He accepted the compliment well. He needed it at the moment to help wash away the grudge he held for Harry. But it honestly made him feel _worse_.

Liam trusted him, gave him information he probably wouldn't have ever spoken to another soul, and here Louis was, hiding a secret from someone who deemed him as _good_. As _trustful_. Yet, in reality, Louis has killed people, and he certainly didn't consider himself as being a trustworthy person. He wasn't even close to that title. Not by a long shot.

"Can I be honest with you, Louis?"

"Of course," Louis lifted his gaze from the ground to the path in front of him.

"I want you to watch out for Harry and Clyde. And when I say watch out, I literally mean it. They're both manipulative people and they will screw with your head," Liam warned. Louis perked up at Harry's name, all his attention now fully on the next words to exit his friends mouth. "Clyde can easily observe things that others don't notice and he's not afraid to let things be known. So any secrets that you have, you better hope he won't see right through them."

Louis could feel his body slowly tensing and he decreased his pace when his side was hit with a sudden muscle spasm from the strain. Liam put his hand on Louis' shoulder to silently ask if everything was alright, and Louis smiled at the attempt of comfort while shaking his head.

"Why are you telling me this?" Louis questioned out of the blue when he straightened himself. 

"Because he knows that Harry takes a liking to you and that puts his title in jeopardy. He's the type of person to gather as much dirt on you to have you thrown out without second thought, just as long as he benefits. He's also basically up Harry's ass all the time," Liam rolled his eyes at the last sentence, irritation lacing his tone as they turned in the path.

"Does Harry ever do anything about him?" Louis found himself walking faster to keep up with Liam, the pain in his side not bothering him at the moment like seconds before.

"Well, Harry puts him in his place sometimes by yelling at him, but he trusts Clyde because they've been best friends since they can remember. Which means that Clyde has an advantage here and Harry will listen to what he has to say," Liam looked at Louis worriedly.

There was something unreadable in his eyes. Liam was trying to tell him something, but Louis didn't understand what exactly he was suppose to be puzzling together. "What's going on, Liam?"

Liam stopped in his tracks, causing Louis to follow suit and turn towards the Alpha. The birds around them were chirping like crazy, filling the air with a glorious melody, and from the corner of his eye, Louis could make out a small green frog hopping across the dirt trail and towards a swamp nearby. He waited for Liam to let out whatever he needed to be known, and in times like this, Louis found time stopping. Like it was letting him have a moment of fresh air before life whacked him in the face with a frying pan.

"Clyde doesn't like the fact that Harry has taken a liking to you, and because of that, he's trying to get you thrown out the pack," Liam stepped towards the Omega, letting his voice enter into a deep warning tone. "Whatever you do, Louis, don't let him find dirt on you."

Louis started to feel himself panic a little. His heart began racing and he placed his fist near his right breast, the beating of the organ thumping through the shirt. His palms were growing moist from his nervousness, but he quickly swallowed all the sudden emotions he could feel bubbling up inside of him. He knew something was off about Clyde, and to hear that the man was after him sent his mind into a mess he couldn't even comprehend.

He didn't even do anything to Clyde, so why was Louis deemed the target? If anything, the man should be going after Harry, but Louis already went over this; Harry was intimidating and strong, and because of that, Clyde must've decided on taking the fight to the weaker side. But Louis was gonna show him wrong. He was strong. 

"Louis, if you're hiding something, you hide it damn good. Do you hear me?" Liam placed his hands on Louis' shoulders.

Louis wasn't looking at Liam. His eyes were instead searching the blue shirt he was wearing as a replacement for Harry's black silk shirt. They had stopped by Louis' tipi to search for any shirts, and he happened to stumble across the soft clothing, a small fabric sticking out seeming to gather his attention ever since. When he felt Liam squeeze his hold on his shoulders, Louis shook his head and looked up into his friends big brown eyes.

"I hear you," Louis said, bringing his hand up to rub at his own cheek. "He can search all he wants, but he won't find anything."

"Good. Because I actually like you, and so does Zayn and Niall. Even Harry, and that's something not everyone can say," Liam smiled reassuringly as he dropped his arms and continued forward.

Louis followed him in silence, a small smile sticking to his lips as he listened to the chirping birds and the splashes of water from nearby frogs springing into the swamps. They were both quiet, maybe too quiet, but he didn't seem to mind it and neither did Liam, his Alpha friend striding along the dirt path while picking at any nearby branches. Louis was fine whether they talked to each other or not. He maybe actually enjoyed the silence, for it gave him more room to survey and map the trails and his surroundings to save in his memory bank. Soon, he was going to be walking these paths and enjoying the quiet time for only him, and him only. Just the thought alone made him smile a big one. He threw his head back, a smirk dressing his face as he breathed in a sense of fresh air.

But this time, the air wasn't so fresh. It smelled way different than seconds before, and when the scent caught up to him, he furrowed his eyebrows and almost gasped at the realization of what exactly it was that he was detecting with his nose.

Louis found himself raising his hand to Liam, his knuckles slightly tapping on his friends shoulder blade as if yelling at him to stop and in return, the Alpha turned towards him with a raised eyebrow. Louis lifted a finger to the sky as he sniffed, his eyes brushing over the area for any intruders that somehow found a way around his smelling detection--which was quite hard to do with a Pure Omega.

“Do you smell that?" Louis asked, his face scrunching up in a cringe expression as the smell grew stronger.

Liam squinted his eyes at Louis confusingly before he lifted his chin to smell the air, his nostrils flaring at each sniff. He shook his head no after a few seconds, and Louis found himself wondering if he was just going crazy and imagining the aroma. But he had double the senses than the Alpha did, so he didn't blame Liam for not detecting it. It was still faint to Louis' nose despite having the heightened senses, so he pushed Liam along the trail and towards the scent so his friend could get a good whiff too.

"Louis, are you okay?" Liam felt troubled at the swift speed they were walking, for he knew Louis was injured and couldn't walk well, but his friend didn't seem to even notice or limp.

Louis' attention was on something completely different, taking his mind off of every little thing that kept him grounded in reality. His eyes seemed distant, his speed was fast despite the damages his body had taken before, and his whole vibe screamed out of reality.

 _He would make for a good hunter_ , Liam thought, for Louis seemed to click into different senses on command as he navigated them both off the path and into a trail of shrubs and large rocks. Liam never seen anything like it. Louis was precise with his movements, making every little turn and easily calculating where the scent trailed. There was no break, no doubt that ever crossed Louis' mind. 

“Smell the air," Louis commanded again.

"I already did, what are you trying to get at?" Liam asked.

Louis stopped them and stood in front of Liam. "No, Liam, _actually_ smell it. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Focus on what you're trying to smell and you will smell it faintly."

Liam raised his eyebrow before lifting his head in the air once again. "Whatever you say, Louis."

He still expected to smell nothing exciting. Maybe a squirrel or something like a moose or bear, hence the reason Louis was acting so bizarre. He got it, big game meant more reaction from the hunters, for it meant more food and more time to rest. But when Liam  _really_ focused, his face scrunched up in trying to pin point what Louis wanted him to, he could sense what was wrong in the air. The breeze smelled of rust combined with a different foul odor, one that was absolutely gross, that made him want to gag indefinitely.

He knew that smell from being outside the borders of the territory. When war was always around you, you would never forget _that_ smell. The one that belonged to a fresh decaying corpse.

"Shit, I smell it," Liam was alarmed instantly, his eyes searching the landscape before landing on Louis. "This isn't good. Not at all."

Louis shook his head in agreement before motioning for Liam to follow him. Liam didn't want to follow, for he knew that sooner or later they were going to cross a corpse, which is something that disgusts him to his core, but for being the Hunting Leader, he had to.

Same went for Louis, he wasn't thrilled about following the smell that was burning his nose at this point, but if he was to become a hunter, he was going to act like one and check out what was on _his_ territory. In addition, however, Louis couldn't forget the fact that he was a killer too, and he had almost grown accustomed to the smell, at least as accustomed as you could get to a deceased being. He was just use to the scenery, the feeling, the _reasons_.

And despite them both not wanting to check it out, they did anyways. A few minutes of them walking the path of the scent seemed like hours to them both as they neared closer to the cadaver, Louis leading them both through the shrubbery to where it was located. The smell was strong indeed, causing both of them to lift their shirts high above their nose in an attempt to block out the bad odor.

Louis wasn't going to go into description of what he found when he rounded a few large bushes, but it wasn't a good sight at all. But to be fair, any death wasn't really. However, to see the body of a Hell hound Omega laying under sticks and wet leaves made Louis terrified for an odd reason. One that he couldn't exactly pin point at the moment. He found himself inching way closer before he crouched down next to the body, his sleeve slowly dusting the leaves away from the individuals face to see if he could recognize who it was, but instead he was meet with an unfamiliar face.

It was a woman, who seemed to be way older than him. Her hair was a dirty blonde color with large brown stripes running down in dark natural highlights. Her eyes were a dusty blue, but they had turned to a cloudy gray from her deceased status. As he stared with disbelief, he began putting the puzzle pieces together in his mind, the situation not looking good at all when he soon realized.

He lifted his chin and pushed his nose above his shirt. He took his eyes from the body, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air for any other scents besides any of the three, and despite the decaying smell from the body of the female below him, he still managed to detect another scent. It was kinda like having to pin point a needle in a hay stack. His eyes began watering from the sudden strong smell at once from the corpse, and he quickly covered his nose back up with the collar of his blue shirt.

He looked up at Liam who stood right next to him, his brown eyes squinting as he looked disgusted at the sight in front of him. Liam was too invested on not trying to throw up that it left Louis, his only option to spell it out for his friend.

"Do you realize how bad this situation is?" Louis mumbled through his shirt.

"It's a dead body, it's a bad situation in the _first_ place. There hasn't been a Hell Hound death within our own borders since way before Harry was even crowned the leader," Liam yelled through the fabric, but Louis knew that his friend was just in shock over the discovery.

"No, I mean that there's a different scent besides ours and hers. That discovery makes this way worse, just think about it," Louis stated calmly.

It was sad to say, but he was use to these situations before back when it was just him and Sam. Over the years he learned to hold his stomach and handle the problem like a pro. He never found himself getting too overwhelmed, not even during the first time of discovering a Werewolf body that was left in the open due to the war between the Werewolves and Hell Hounds.

Liam sniffed the air to confirm Louis' findings, his lips coming into a frown from the decaying aroma. "I do smell something else...a different Hell hound scent," Liam pointed out, to which Louis praised his friend, the Alpha's shirt coming back to cover his nose.

"Which would most likely point to murder, considering there's another scent," Louis stood up from his crouching position, his shirt still over his nose as he looked Liam dead in the eye. "However, there's no Werewolf scents, and it's in our border, which means _one_ thing."

Liam's eyes widened as he realized what Louis was trying to get at; there was a murderer on the loose inside _their_ territory. A _traitor_. A Hell Hound killing other Hell Hounds, and for what?

He remembered back to what Alice had revealed; people were hunting Louis because he was the Pure Omega. Did the killer strike an unsuspecting individual to send a message to him? Was this revenge for killing Alice? Or was this just a killing that happened out of the blue? 

Actually, she was the only one who _knew_ of him being the pure Omega, besides for Mr. Gilborn, and he knew the old man enough to trust him from telling any other living soul his darkest secret.

Something sketchy was going on, and he didn't like the idea of a murder taking place during the time he just so happens to join the camp. 

Louis would've found himself in full panic if he didn't have the thought that he, too, was a murderer within his own borders, he basically added to the sketchiness. He killed Alice and hid her body, meaning that he was no different than the murderer himself. He was just as a disgrace and coward as the creature that killed this girl.

But at the same time, he didn't know the motive, so he kept his thoughts to himself as he turned to Liam. When he looked to his friend, he noticed that Liam looked to be in some sort of shock. His eyes were wide, his cheeks pale, and his skin seemed to grow clammy under the sunlight.

"Liam, you good?" Louis asked his friend, but the only reaction he got was one single finger raising up from the fist that was clenched around his shirt, it pointing directly in front of them.

Louis furrowed his eyebrows before following the direction of where Liam was pointing, his eyes dragging over the body first before he found himself frozen in his place. Just a few feet away from them both stood a man, a small revolver gripped in his gloved hand.

From what Louis could tell, he was tall and skinny, reminding him of someone that had more of a Werewolf type of body. He was wearing all black, along with a face mask that covered everything but his brown eyes, and he had on a hood that sat on top his head while casting shadows along the indents in his mask. Louis didn't have anymore time to look him over, for the man quickly held up the gun to the both of them, his arms clearly shaking as he did so. 

Louis placed his hands in a surrendering motion as he followed Liam's movements, his body hard as a rock as he glared menacingly at the stranger. Despite the moment, he couldn't help but think of the man as being an amateur. He hadn't even hid the body of his victim, and yet he was standing in front of both Louis and Liam, not even a thought crossing his mind that they were both stronger and faster than him. Louis didn't think he actually had the guts to kill another person, considering that his body was shaking and his gaze held a deep, dark sorrow within the brown of his eyes. His waterline was also teary, making Louis almost one hundred percent sure the man couldn't add anymore guilt to himself. 

However, there were no wrong movements or words by Louis or Liam for the man to shoot at them, but one second it was quiet and the next second, they found themselves ducking down behind a nearby log as a shot was fired towards them.

As soon as he heard what sounded like something ripping through the air next to his head, his body instantly went into a distress state, causing his side to shudder in pain from the sudden tense of his muscles. He almost forgot about the pain, but as he laid covered in leaves and his legs half muddy from skidding in the mud for cover, he couldn't help but whine in anguish.

His chest grew heavy with panic and he recognized it as his inner Omega yelling out with dolor, something that hadn't happened in a long time. He was use to the feeling when he found himself in trouble with rogues before when he was _way way_ younger, but he soon found a way to hide it. He knew it was just his Omega yearning for protection from the intruder, it feeling like a pushing sensation way deep in his chest, but why was this situation so different than others? Why was it coming back?

As another shot rang through the air and his body racked with another wave of sudden distress, he knew that it was because of Harry. Those walls he built to keep his inner omega down were now slowly being crushed because of the pure Alpha Hell Hound. Harry sent his inner Omega into battle without a weapon, and now he was feeling the consequences. 

His inner self was searching for protection from Harry, and at that moment, he knew he was screwed big time.

Louis was taken from his thoughts as he heard a sudden click from a few feet away from him, and when he looked up over the log and into the brown eyes of the stranger, he realized that the man had no bullets left in his gun when he pulled the trigger again, a clicking noise ringing between them. Although being shot at felt like ages had passed, the event only unfolded in a matter of seconds, leaving both Louis and Liam confused on the ground.

The stranger wasted no time as he took off in the opposite direction of the camp. Liam picked himself up to run after the bastard, his feet sliding in the mud as he took off and almost stumbled over the log, leaving Louis to yell out to his friend in an attempt to stop him. However, there was no use, for Liam continued on uninjured, his feet never stopping as he disappeared behind the trees while chasing the strange man. Louis yelled out once again, but he stopped once his body suddenly became full of adrenaline.

It was like a sugar rush. His veins felt like they were burning underneath his skin as his heart rate picked up its speed, and he felt his Flight-or-Fight sense kicking into high gear. Louis was laying in pain one second before he found himself numb and able to move the next, almost like he had never been injured in the first place.

Louis picked himself up off the ground without any pain, and instead of chasing after Liam, he took off the way they came. He was confident enough in Liam to take care of the man, and if something did happen against his confidence, he could at least bring the situation to the other hunters for help. Plus, this adrenaline rush wasn't going to last forever, and with a killing pain coming full force into his side once the numbness died down, he wouldn't last long in a fight. 

And despite the silent grudge he held against Harry at the moment, he was the only thing that popped into his mind. He knew Harry would be the wisest choice to go to first, and he decided on it; he was to find Harry right away. No stopping for a breath included.

As he stumbled through the large shrubbery and onto the main dirt trail, his body rolled from his foot giving way due to a root sticking up from the ground, but the adrenaline kept him from caring about any bruises or scratches he might have attained. He picked himself up with the thought of getting to the man he knew would protect him. 

Whatever happened to Louis, he didn't care as he kept to the idea of pushing himself forward. He ran as fast as he could and continued on with his whole body numb to the pain that he knew was hiding in his side.

He needed to get to Harry.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so much fluff planned oh geez.
> 
> So you guys have Rwanda, Clyde, and this mystery murderer on the loose. Any thoughts?


	11. The Elders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly read through this chapter and I hated it with a passion. There's a scene in here with a lot of dialogue and explaining going on, but I feel like I just completely bombed it. So if anyone is confused, please let me know. For some reason, I just disliked this chapter. Maybe it's my writing? I don't know. 
> 
> AND for all of you who have been wondering about the history between Hell Hounds and Werewolves, this chapter is for you!
> 
> Also, ignore the bad editing okay, it's 2:30 in the morning. XD I'm sure I missed some things and probably have tons of typos. Oops.

The sun was in the midst of beginning to set once again, the sky a beautifully decorated canvas painted orange and purple, the colors running smoothly against the edge of the outlying horizon. Louis would’ve found it beautiful if he'd taken the time to look at it through his panic. He would've even taken a seat near his tipi to observe it for as long as he could, basking in the sight of what nature had to give.

However, Louis never had the chance to sit back and enjoy what nature had to offer. Whenever he had the chance, the opportunity was corrupted or seized from his hands. Whether it was watching his brothers body stain the oceans waters and the sound of beach waves, or the bloodshed of war behind every turn, there was always _something_.

But this time, it was ruined by the panic.

He found himself running swiftly by pack members as they made their way down the many camp trails, their balances being thrown off from the sudden gush of air as he ran by them and the sudden acknowledge of his presence. His legs carried him faster than the average human being, courtesy of pure Omega characteristics, and he managed to dodge any unsuspecting individuals from being ran into. 

He heard a lady scream to his left from the sudden realization of Louis running swiftly pass her, her hand raised to rest on her chest and breath heavy as she dropped her basket of various fruits along the path. Louis would’ve given his apologies, even would’ve offered a helping hand, but he had more important things to do than pick up hundreds of scattered berries from the dirty ground. It would take him ages.

So, with all-in-all, he decided to just keep running about as fast as he could, and his destination was to the pack meeting house.

It was a big guess on whether or not Harry was gonna be there. Even though that was the last place Harry had been seen by Louis, and despite having the Alpha walk away from him the last time they were in each other’s presence, he still wished to give the place a chance just in case. 

And his conclusion was right. They were back at the meeting house.

He found himself skidding to a halt in front of the wooden door to the big stone building, a gush of dirt flying into the air as he drifted to a quick stop. A few candles were lit in the windows dressing the walls on both sides of the door, illuminating stretched silhouettes dancing along the walls while casting an eerie orange glow all around the inside. He could hear inaudible chattering coming from the other side of the door and he pressed his hand to the wooden slab, his mind trying to keep himself balanced before he was to even think about pushing it open.

His breathing was still heavy and his body was unbalanced from the constant running. He was pretty sure his legs could be considered actual jelly at this point. Plus, his cheeks were flushed a deep pink from having to push himself quite the distance--without stopping, if he must add.

When he felt ready, Louis pushed open the door quickly, his eyes landing firstly on the large stone table in the middle of the enormous room. It was long enough to sit around ten people, yet only six were surrounding it. All of the inhabitants inside the room were all large, bulky Hell Hound Alphas, their eyes piercing Louis in the same instant he found himself flying into the room. Clyde and Harry were included as they all turned their attention to a terrified Louis. 

The room was large and spacious--definitely bigger than it seemed from the outside. Besides for the table in the middle, there were large papers lining the walls with words scribbled upon them in thick black ink. There were sketches of people that Louis never knew of, there were even things tapped with red ribbon dressing across from them, almost as if it was connecting two things together, and some papers seemed to be torn down, leaving just the corners left to sit tapped against the cold stone wall. 

His hair was clinging to his forehead, blue eyes wide and wild, and his cheeks were an innocent ringing bright pink as he staggered in his place. When his eyes meet with the sharp green ones of his leader, Louis just wanted to march across and fall into his arms. All he needed--more like wanted--was to sleep away his problems and feel protected once and for all. But instead, the voice of Clyde broke the intense eye contact shared between both Harry and Louis, Louis' gaze breaking first in the sign of oblivious submission. 

“You’re not allowed in here,” Clyde stated as he turned towards Louis, his jaw clenching in irritation from his sudden entrance.

Louis wasn’t sure how much anger he could hold against a man, but the anger he held was directly going to his clenched fists. Something about Clyde made him itch uncomfortably and after hearing about his plan to kick Louis out the pack, just the sight of him sent a dancing fire of wrath streaking through Louis' skin and into his boiling blood.

He bit his cheek to hold back any words against Harry’s trusted War General, and when Harry spoke to Louis, all the anger seemed to disappear without any trace of it ever being there. His leaders voice was calming enough to where he slumped in his position and released his clenched fists in a sudden state of relaxation.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, his tone laced with confusion and worry as to why the Omega had just stumbled into the room.

Louis watched his eyes scan him up and down, and the Alpha stepped forward instantly when he realized he didn’t have any crutches for support.

“ _Louis_ , where the hell are your crutches?!” Harry bellowed as he found himself dragging a wooden chair to the Omega, completely ignoring the fact that Louis wasn't wearing his shirt anymore.

Harry ushered for Louis to sit down, his expression soft as he attempted to pull the Omega down onto the chair, but Louis pushed his prying hands away at the last moment and blurted out the only words that came straight to his mind. 

“There’s been a murder within our borders!” Louis voice was shaky and sounded out of breath as he yelled the news out loud.

He wasn’t sure how to announce it to them all, but the deed was now done with, the words spoken from his tongue with shakiness dripping from every word that had escaped pass his lips.

They all stopped what they were doing and looked between each other, Harry’s breath getting stuck in his throat as he stared wide eyed at Louis. The air within the room felt like it was being vacuumed out, his breathing becoming unstable once again. The silence was broken by an unwavering Clyde. 

“I’m sure there’s been no murders within our borders. You’re absolutely off your rocker, Louis,” Clyde looked at Harry, almost as if he was trying to calm everyone down--including himself. “I have a sense he’s trying to deceive us,” Clyde stood up with his finger pointed towards the Omega, but Louis stepped back, his legs hitting the edge of the chair Harry had placed behind him.

"Clyd-" Harry started, but Louis broke through first. 

”Are you seriously accusing me of such a crime?” Louis wasn’t even thinking about his words. He just continued to speak. “To accuse me of fabricating such a situation that hasn’t happened within years of these borders?”

Clyde laughed loudly, his eyes rolling in the process as the room was filled with confused glances at his sudden laughter. Harry was standing leaning forward with his palms on the table, his eyes boring angrily into the War General's side profile. 

“Louis, the latest murder was Leader Reddair. And it was in _our_ borders,” Clyde turned his gaze towards Harry who stood silently observing the conversation between the two. Clyde dismissed the angered look the leader was giving him, the high of trying to make Louis fall too much for him to care. “Look at that Harry, he just lied about that fact.”

Louis was quick to come to his own defense. "No, this is a _murder_ murder. Reddair was killed by Harry, in front of everyone, and for a somewhat _okay_ reason. You can't peacefully take someones land and expect them to stand back, even if they say so," Louis stated, his voice raising as he leaned towards Clyde. "But this murder is from someone within the pack, and someone who plans on keeping their identity hidden because they were there dressed in a mask, and they tried to shoot at Liam and I!"

Clyde shook his head at Louis. "You're wrong about everything, Louis."

Harry pressed his lips into a thin line as he looked at the War General, his arms now crossed in front of his chest as he glared internal daggers at the man. “Actually, Louis is right. Leader Reddair may have been killed in our borders by me, but he was aware of the other times I had killed for land before. Either he was too stupid to care about what happened to his family, or he was expecting to strike first. Either way, it shan’t count. Now shut up, Clyde, before I bet the pulp out of you. Let Louis speak his news.”

Clyde fell back into his chair defeated and shook his head in irritation, his chin resting on his palm as he huffed with impatience. Louis could feel the heat practically radiate off from him, his eyes sending sharp, aggressive daggers to the Omega. Louis, however, sent the same glance back to the man.

 "Now sit down, Louis. Tell us what happened," Harry stated, urging Louis to sit again once more. 

This time he obeyed and found himself lowering down onto the chair behind him. His side surprisingly wasn't hurting as much as he expected it to, so it was much easier to follow the motions of bending down without winching and sending the pure Alpha Hell Hound in a state of protection over Louis. His adrenaline was still on high, but he found himself much more calmer now that he took the time to breathe fresh air again. 

Harry slid a chair from the table and swung it around before plopping his body down on top of it. He draped his arms along the top rail of the chair and his long legs straddled the backrest of it, his thighs hugging the wooden stiles on both sides of the furniture. When he was situated and pointed his gaze directly at Louis, he nodded his head in a way to tell the Omega to speak.

But Louis didn't know where to start. The pressure of everyone's eyes on him made him fumble in his seat as he looked down at his tangled fingers, his cheeks puffing out in a way to calm his own nerves. 

"Liam and I were walking the hunter trails when we discovered the body. It was covered up, but barely even close enough to being hidden at all and I'm still not sure who the victim is. Just that it's a female Hell Hound Omega," Louis stopped as he tried to wire his brain to remember or think if he knew who it was, but there was nothing there, causing him to continue. "Anyways, as we were checking out the body, we noticed a smell that belonged to another Hell Hound."

Harry interrupted him, his eyes searching Louis' widen ones. "Did you happen to catch who the smell belonged to?" 

"No," Louis shook his head, his gaze searching everyone's before he rubbed at his cheeks. He furrowed his eyebrows as he continued. "In fact, I didn't even catch if he was an Alpha, Beta, or Omega."

He then remembered that Liam was still out there with that lunatic, and he had to make the explanation as fast as he could in order for anyone in charge to give the go ahead for a search team to help track them down. He pulled himself together before motioning towards the door behind him. 

"Look, the killer was still there. He had a mask and everything and I didn't recognize his scent. But he shot at us both," Louis looked himself up and down before stating a well known fact. "Of course, I wasn't hurt and neither was Liam, but Liam took off after him and it's almost dark out. So we need recruitment's and we need to get out there right away. Please."

Harry bit his tongue and made a humming noise as he looked down towards the ground. He didn't speak his thoughts, but by the way he found his knuckle in-between his teeth and he kept his leg shaking, he was in some sort of thinking pose. Louis waited for the Alpha to perk up and speak, to get up and help Liam as quick as he could, but he never moved a muscle. 

Another Alpha within the group spoke up before anyone else could. "I know Liam, he knows his way around and can easily find his way back. We're probably be better off getting the body and bringing it back while waiting for him to return himself."

Louis opened his mouth to respond to the Alpha, but he was caught off guard by Clyde.

"So you're telling me that you let a pack member run off by himself? You didn't try to help or attempt a liberation of your precious hunter leader?" Clyde challenged Louis as he squinted his eyes at the blue eyed man. 

Louis meet gazes with Clyde, his irritation going through the roof by now. His knuckles were white from clenching his fists too hard and his breathing became uneven from the sudden infuriating sense that overcame him. He had a feeling like someone had just pawned off the air that was inside his lungs and left him airless, almost as if he was stuck underwater to accept his own fate of drowning. 

"I let a pack member run off by himself, _yes_ , but that does not mean I left him with the intention to die. If that was the case, I would've stayed and fought with everything," Louis confidently stated, his tone now a step deeper and voice harsher. "But of course, here you sit like a little swine, seeking out all the negatives of _me?_ You should be looking at how serious this situation is that I've brought to you."

Harry perked up from the Omegas sudden defensive state and snapped his fingers to get Louis' attention. "Louis, calm down, alright? Clyde just doesn't know how to shut his damn mouth."

"I'll calm down once Clyde gives me an answer to why he has to be such a _little chienne_ ," Louis stated, but when Harry stood to his full height, he found his inner Omega shutting his own mouth tight.

However, it didn't stop the surrounding group of Alphas to bust a silent smile at the insult to their War General. Louis watched as Harry let a quick tug of his lips get the best of him, but he defeated the urge and stepped forward to place a hand on the shoulder of an angered Clyde.

"Getting an answer out of why Clyde doesn't like you is not the main point here, Louis. Getting Liam to safety is. I'll have some people gather a round of the most trusted hunters and put together a search party to look for him," Harry told him, ignoring the annoyed look that his War General had sent him as he looked around the room and at his comrades. "Stephen, Alec, and Silas, go gather the top hunters and tell them to meet me at the hunting trail entrance in ten. Clyde, I want you to head out right now and see if you can catch any scents or find Liam. Now go. Follow along the trail."

It didn't take long for the directed individuals to gather their belongings and run out the door, Clyde sending daggers to Louis as he purposely brushed himself harshly against the Omega. He stopped next to Louis before bending down next to him, the Omega still sitting in the chair that Harry had gathered for him.

"After tonight, you should leave this place and never look back. It'll be better that way," Clyde taunted, his breath tickling the edge of Louis earlobe. "Or maybe I'll just have to force you out, huh?"

Louis looked at him from the corner of his eye, his jaw clenched and eyes fierce. "Clyde, I will only tell you once and once only. You're messing with the wrong person here," Louis whispered, his voice full of warning. 

"Oh really? Is that a threat from a little boy like you?" Clyde questioned through a whisper.

"Would you like it to be? Because I'm sure this _little boy_ could take you down any day," Louis bit back.

Harry stepped forward to break the whispered conversation, causing the General to look at his leader. There was a flash of fear that crossed his gaze, causing him to stand straight and head towards the door without any words spoken. 

If it wasn't for Harry and another lone Alpha standing in the room, Louis would've found himself tearing apart the War General limb by limb at that exact moment. His face was flushed red with anger and his veins popped from his neck as he locked eye contact with a departing Clyde, their gazes never ceasing before the War General was out the door. 

“Now for you, Denton, you shall scram. You’re not needed for the rest of the night,” Harry shooed the remaining individual, a young Hell Hound Alpha named Denton, from the building.

When Denton bowed and gave Harry a short, quick goodnight, he traced the others footsteps out the door and disappeared somewhere into the camp. When the younger Alpha left them both and the door was surely shut, Harry brought his back to rest against the table, crossed his ankles, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest. Louis expected for some sort of speech about _not bursting into a meeting like that again_ or perhaps him _wanting Louis to leave_ , but he didn’t get neither of those when the Alpha kept silent, making him confused all the same. 

He was embraced for the yelling. He really was. Despite for what it might be about. Maybe he would be mad at Louis for leaving Liam. Or perhaps insulting his War General.

But all-in-all, it didn’t feel wrong to leave Liam, because he had confidence in his friend. He _knew_ one hundred percent that Liam was strong and talented enough to take down a lone man smaller than him. The killer had no more bullets left...right?

“I’m sorry,” Louis managed to muffle out from a semi-closed mouth. “For barging into the meeting and leaving Liam. I know it’s not a good thing to leave your friends behind, but I had reasons for it.” He didn't think he had the gut to apologize for insulting Clyde, the man deserved it if anything.

”Reasons?” Harry finally looked at Louis, his expression blank and unreadable. 

“Yes. Reasons,” Louis repeated, not bothering to go into any details. 

“Like reasons why you’re so different than everybody else here?” Harry asked bluntly, his voice turning an octave lower as he talked.

Louis’ blood ran cold, causing goose bumps to gather along his flesh, and his heart rate jumped quickly from the sudden change of the topic. He really wanted to talk about them at a time like this? He tilted his head while licking his lips, his mouth opening to form words he tried to find in his mind. His hands began shaking as he pushed himself up from the chair, his eyes wondering up and down Harry. 

“What do you mean?” Louis asked him unnervingly, unaware of whether his acting at the moment was good or not.

Harry rolled his head along his shoulders, causing a few deafening pops to permeate the air between them. The Alpha sighed before he looked at Louis, his green eyes full of bright curiosity.

“You know what I mean,” Harry responded while pushing himself off the table.

He took a few steps closer to Louis, the air between them becoming thicker with tension as he stopped just a few inches from the Omega. If Harry was to take one more step, their chests would be touching and if that was to happen, Louis wasn’t sure if he could hold his inner Omega back from whatever it’s natural instincts indefinitely wanted from the Alpha.

Harry slowly raised his hand to gently brush his fingertips against Louis’ cheek, the soft flesh of the Omega feeling like cold silk under his hot touch. Louis watched as the Alphas green eyes surveyed his face, gathering every detail and crevice hidden within the skin dressing his face. Louis felt like a a science project, having to be observed very carefully to gather the results of certain theories. _Theories_ as to why he was different. 

And all the while, Louis felt like he could blow up from all the emotions he felt at that moment. Excitement, panic, curiosity, and so much more.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Harry stated, finding the courage to look into Louis’ blue eyes.

Louis assumed he was talking about going to find Liam, sure that he would force himself into the adventure of trying to search for the friend he had left behind. He shook his head, causing Harry to drag his thumb across Louis’ deep set cheekbones. The Omega stood still, body tense and eyes set forward in a notion that would read ‘stable’ enough. He was sure he was trembling under Harry’s touch, but the man was great enough not to bring it up. 

“I won’t leave,” Louis stated, his Omega breaking free to speak to the Alpha in front of him. “As long as you bring Liam back, I’ll stay here for ages with you.”

He heard the man chuckle from in front of him, making him almost melt into the touch from the melodic sound of the leader laughing. He would never find himself getting use to such a beautiful sound, but he could imagine himself being the reason behind those noises that escaped from Harry.

”That's not what I meant,” Harry stated. 

“Then what?” Louis asked, a genuine expression of concern flashing across his face.

It took Harry a few seconds to answer as he basked in Louis' fake rosy scent--a scent that could forever be beaten by his _real_ pure Omega scent.

“What Clyde said when he was leaving. I heard him, and I don’t want you to leave,” Harry stated, his body leaning forward instinctively towards Louis. The Omega could sense a change to his voice. It was his Alpha coming out, trying to reach to Louis' own. “I _won’t_ let you leave."

A crimson blush set over Louis' face at Harry's words. He quickly looked away from Harry's gaze and peered down at their shoes, the tips almost touching from how close they were standing together. Deep down, the feeling of bliss was stirring somewhere in his chest as his inner Omega basked in Harry's Alpha. One small conversation, and their souls were reaching out to each other without realization. 

Louis sighed as he placed his small, cold palm over Harry's and pulled it away from his face, trying desperately to fight the urge to replace it back. His cheek felt hot from where the ghostly touch of the Alphas fingertips laid. Like a hot bowl of soup sitting in the middle of a freezing winter. 

Louis dropped the Alphas hand from his grip and took a step back, never bothering to look at Harry even once. 

What rested between them both was now an awkward silence. Louis stood looking at the ground, aware of the crying wolf inside his chest as it felt betrayed against itself. Against Louis. He wasn't sure if Harry could feel the same thing and he wasn't going to risk asking. Of course, he wanted to talk about it so badly to the man, but he couldn't find his mouth opening for the life of him.

"Um, how's your side?" Harry silently asked, a bit of shame lacing his voice. 

Louis appreciated the attempt to change the subject. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to keep talking to him about everything that he could between them. He wanted to reach out and feel the Alphas skin against his own. But he couldn't do that, and standing right next to him wasn't helping one bit either, for Louis stood with his shirt wrapped in clenched fists and brow sweating under the intense gaze he received from the man across him.

"Good," Louis kept to a short truthful answer. His side wasn't hurting, at least not at the moment. 

"That's good," Harry spoke before scratching the back of his neck in awkwardness. 

Louis looked between his shoes as he began to walk backwards, his eyes casting over Harry before he stopped against the door. "You should probably go look for Liam and recover the body. Just follow the trail until come across the smell. It'll be faint, but I'm sure you'll smell it."

Louis' voice was small and scratchy. He was quiet as he meet the Alpha's concerned gaze once more. "And stay safe, yeah?"

Harry nodded in response, a small crooked smile invading his face. "Yeah, of course."

"Good," Louis stated before nudging his head in a quick, awkward goodbye. 

He pushed open the door before walking out into the cold air, not once looking back to make eye contact with Harry. He didn't know exactly where he was going; but the feeling of butterflies in his stomach made him feel like a teenager experiencing love for the first time in their lives.

After some careful thinking and bright, goofy smiles to himself, he decided to walk the camp and discover some more places he hadn't yet. His side wasn't a bad pain like before--even though he was sure the adrenaline had washed away completely--so he didn't have any excuse not to take a calming walk.

Plus, he had to find something to do while he waited for everyone to arrive back to the camp. As much as he wanted to run back out with everyone to find Liam, he also just wanted some time to sit in peace.

❍

Out of everything that could've pulled Louis in interest, an immense dark purple tipi was what he kept his sights on. It was in the middle of the woods and without the long, winding stone path that led him there, he wouldn't have ever known of its existence.

Along the outstretched buffalo hide that made up the walls of the mysterious tipi, there were large purple fabrics--material you could make for clothing--attached to cover up all inches of the outside. It resembled that of something you'd find a fortune teller dwelling in.

And above all, what caught Louis off guard was a large stick puncturing the dirt next to the entrance with large rocks surrounding the bottom to keep it upright, and on top of it sat a slightly crooked Native American headdress. It was beautiful and bright against the purple background, the contrast a very noticeable one.

The band of the headdress was dirty from being used quite often, and it was all white with red outlines of triangles lining along the top and bottom edges. Poking out from underneath the top of the band were feathers that ran from white to black halfway, all of them sagging down from the heavy weight resting on top of each other. 

And right below the headdress was a wooden sign that sat leaning against the stick with the word ' _Welcome_ ' carved into it, the words just a little bit lighter from the rest of the wood block it was carved into. Whoever was inside must've not cared for visitors or at least had a lot, considering the fact they even had to put up a sign, so Louis decided to go forward with drawing himself closer to the entrance.

But before he decided to enter, he cautiously stood by the headdress, his fingers gradually running over the silky texture of the feathers that hung downwards. They were soft and smooth, even cold to the touch, and he didn't want to bring his hand away from petting the plush material.

"You there, bring yourself inside now," a slow, raspy feminine voice called out to him from inside the tipi, making Louis jump slightly in surprise. The voice sounded like it belonged to that of an elder. It sounded somewhat full of great intelligence. "Don't be shy."

Louis reached his hand steadily forward and pulled back the flap of the tipi to poke his head inside. The first thing that he noticed was the soft sound of Native American flutes ringing from an old music box throughout the small space. He stood still and listened intently to it, the feeling of simply being free running through his mind. He ran his fingers through his hair, his mind trying to focus on trading the place of his fingers for the breeze instead. He could see himself running through open fields without a care for the war that burned the insides of everyone's mind. 

He just wanted to be really, really free. He didn't want a label that could get him killed. Was that a crime to wish for? 

Louis shook his head free from the thought, the smell of burning lavender within the tent hitting him at once like a wall of strong perfumes. It smelled incredibly sweet to his senses, even making his entire mouth water.

He looked around to locate the smell, but he was instead meet with a wooden table to his left with small jars filled of unidentifiable herbs and plants. Underneath it were hand woven baskets filled of vegetables and dark leather notebooks stacked in a small messy tower. He found himself drawing closer to the table to inspect the herbs, but a voice from his right replaced his curiosity with confusion.

" _You,"_ there was a deep pause in the air. "I hear them whisper your name in my slumber," the voice sounded tired and weak, causing him to spin his head to look at the owner in bewilderment.

Rwanda.

"They speak of you as an embodiment of faith, Louis Tomlinson," she stated as her head rolled along the raised pillow to look at him, her eyes widening and mouth gaping open as she first rested her gaze upon him.

He tilted his head while squinting his eyes, his hair swaying as he did so. "They?"

She was tucked into her bed with a pelt of fur covering her entire body, her hands clenched around the edges tightly. Her pure white hair draped against her tan, wrinkled face and her cloudy gray eyes sank into Louis, only the blur of his silhouette making it enough for her to see him standing a few feet away.

"They are the Elders. They speak to me," she began, taking a pause to cough silently in her elbow. "And God speaks to them."

Louis furrowed his eyebrows before taking a step closer. He was sure she was off her rocker. Whoever these Elders were, he hadn't a clue what--or who--they were. He nodded his head in fake understanding and took a step to exit the tent before anything got _really_ weird, but he stopped against her next words. 

"They spoke to me; told me you were a Pure Omega," she looked sad, her eyes teary at the waterline as she glared at him. "I've been alive for 102 years and not _once_ have I come across a Pure Omega. Until now."

Louis blinked slowly while swallowing harshly, his eyes searching the old lady as soon as he stopped to look at her. The way she spoke of him made him interested in what she had to say. However, if she knew of his secret, then Louis had to take her off the playing board, right? It wasn't like he could let her live on with his secret and the anxiety of it letting it get out there, but he also couldn't bring himself to kill someone who looked so...innocent. Scared, even. 

"It's Rwanda, right? I saw you in the clinic today, you were getting a check up from what Zayn said. Am I correct?" Louis asked, his finger pointing at her. 

"You're very correct," she shook her head, her lips quivering slightly. 

"Well, Rwanda, I believe that you being conscious of my secret is a very _bad_ thing," Louis stated while taking a step closer.

"No one knows and I'm not sure I can trust you enough to keep it hidden," he said, intently leaving out the truth of Mr. Gilborn actually knowing. "That leaves only one option, ma'am."

"I find this to be ironic, Mr. Tomlinson," she looked at Louis with a smile, her breath shaky but controlled.

"Pure Omegas are know as being peaceful creatures, not ones who threat old woman," Rwanda chuckled quietly while patting the open space on the edge of her bed. "Now come, sit down. I'm not much of a threat, I promise you. Plus, I do have much to tell you. Words directly from the Elders."

Louis cautiously made his way to her bed. He stopped at the edge to drag his hand over the fur pelt before sitting carefully halfway off the bed. He made sure to be as close as he could allow himself--just close enough for anyone to not be eavesdropping into the conversation if they stood outside. He couldn't take the risks. 

"I do not know of these Elders. Who are they?" Louis questioned while tilting his head.

"Oh my, you do not know of these Elders?" she made a ' _tsking_ ' noise with her tongue, her head shaking shamefully at him. 

Louis instantly came to defend himself, his eyes furrowed as he straightened his back. "If the Elders know of me so much and they tell you all about me, then you should know that I didn't exactly have parents that sat me down at night and told me bedtime stories. They trained me how to fight and defend for myself, and that's that."

Rwanda held her hand up to pause Louis from speaking onward, her intentions misunderstood by the Omega. "Louis, my dear soul, there is no need to be defensive around me. I do not cause any threat, nor would I harm a fly. Those days have been done for a while now. So lay down your barrier, I'm just a friendly soul to guide you to where you need to be. If you may, keep quiet and listen to what I wish to tell you."

Louis sighed in defeat and slumped his shoulders. His lip slipped into a pout distinctively, guilt riding into his system for taking such an attitude to an elder; people that you're suppose to show love and respect to. 

"My apologies, ma'am. Go on, I'd like to hear your words," Louis swayed his arm towards her, urging her to continue. 

"Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson," Rwanda gave him a kind, warming smile before she spoke once again.

"I'll start off with the Elders since you aren't to an extent of being aware of such entities. The Elders are a group of ancient creatures, the very first wolves to ever be crafted from Gods hands and put onto this Earth. They were the ones who helped God craft the Werewolves, and by that, they took their own negatives and erased them from the new wolves. The Elders were almost like a rough draft of what God wanted, and despite them not being perfect, God allowed for them to sweep their disadvantages off the carpet by making the Werewolves just like them--but minus the imperfections. God gave the Elders the materials, and they built the Werewolves without their own flaws," she paused to catch her breath.

"The spoken truth is that God had given the Elders the power to be immortal. To watch over their creations as the time progressed. They created a classification within the system. You know the classification of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. The Elders created each category with certain characteristics so they had to be dependent on the other classes--to create a system that would work together in their favor. However, they began to notice that some of the Werewolves were procreating with their same class, creating what you would label as Pures."

"But there are very, very strict rules to be labeled as a Pure. For example, if you're father was an Omega, and your mother was an Omega, and they came from a line of just _strictly_ Omegas from _the very first Omega_ to ever exist, than you would be a pure. Now, if your aunt was to mate with a Beta, that wouldn't change your blood, so you'd still be a pure. However, if your mother came from the pure Omega bloodline, but your father came from a Beta family, you would be considered tainted. Not pure," Rwanda stopped to let Louis take in the information before she continued onto a different subject of talk. However, Louis broke the pause.

"Okay, but what makes us pure from other Omegas that do mate with different classes? Why are they considered different than us if they have the same blood?" Louis asked.

"What makes you different is everything, my dear. Omegas were specifically made to carry offspring and to nurture the world. Their DNA was created perfectly by the Elders to do just that, and as long as that DNA is mixed with the same set to create an offspring, it will stay the same; it will stay _pure_."

"But if an Omega DNA is to be mixed with that of--lets say an Alpha, then that Alpha DNA would mix with the Omegas to taint the genes. Alpha's were designed to create strong offspring and to protect their mates. Yes, it would create good, strong offspring, but they would not be pure and somewhere in their DNA, the structure was changed indefinitely. As the bloodline goes down, the more it will alter the genes."

Louis piped up, his interests high at her words. He positioned himself in a more comfortable way, giving him room to fall forward to rest on the bed on his elbows as he watched and listened. He had many questions, but an unknown amount of time before Harry and Liam would come back, hopefully with a murderer in tow behind them, chains cuffed against his wrists and ankles. 

"Then what about Hell Hounds? Are they the same?" Louis scanned Rwandas wrinkled face, her eyes deep and cloudy from the onset of becoming blind. 

"In general, yes, but when the Elders created them from a sample of Werewolf DNA, one of the Elders had secretly added much more to their genes. That Elder had created them to be superior to the Werewolves, but the others hadn't noticed until it was too late. I'll expand more on that later," she scanned Louis' face as she took a well needed breather. She was 102, she had a reason for her pauses.

"The Elders wanted another species to experiment with, and at the same time, they wanted to watch how the Werewolves would react. They created the same classifications in the Hell Hounds and to no surprise, pures came about too," Rwanda told him, making him even more curious about the Hell Hounds.

"Rwanda?" Louis voice was small and weak, almost like her own.

She looked at him through her blurry vision, her thin lips quivering and chest heaving slightly. 

"Tell me how the Hell Hounds came about. Please," he pleaded curiously. 

Rwanda brought both of her small, dainty hands to wrap around one of Louis' own, his eyes widening from how cold a human being could be. He wanted to pull it away and replace it with the hot skin of Harry's, the ghost of his hand still resting against his cheek forever. It was like his skin was meant to be touched by Harry and only him alone.

"Of course. What would you like to know?" 

"Everything," Louis was quick to answer. 

She smiled at him before rubbing her hand over the back of Louis', the motion an attempt to soothe him down. 

"Well, when the Elders first created the Hell Hounds, they placed them on a large, spacious mountain side. There, they hoped that the Hell Hounds would travel and be discovered by the Werewolves. They wanted to see how well the two would fit together in a society, and they couldn't just plop them down and force them to converse. They had to discover each other by themselves. But the Hell Hounds never moved from their spot within the mountains, and that was where they stayed and populated for centuries. However, the end of peace came quickly."

"There was a group of traveling Werewolves. They called themselves The Men Of The Night, sneaking around and thieving their hands through personal treasures. Now one of the men went by the name of Theodore Henly. He was a teenager and was of royal blood, he was also the second son of the third king to rule over the entire land. He happened to be apart of The Men Of The Night and was with them when they had stumbled upon the mountains that night. Without even realizing that these were not Werewolves inhabiting the mountain, they went in without the acknowledgement that the creatures were Hell Hounds. Things double their own power."

Rwanda held up her finger to Louis, making him go cross-eyed from how close it was held to his face. "Remember how I told you of the Elder that secretly added more to their DNA and the others were unaware?"

Louis shook his head yes as she placed her hand back down to grip at the blanket.

"Well, when The Men Of The Night were captured, the Hell Hounds had tortured and killed them within the same night. The Elder that secretly went against the others had apparently twisted their DNA in some sort of malicious way, and because of how far the Hell Hounds had gotten, they weren't able to wipe them from existence. And since Theodore Henly happened to be of royalty and was caught up in his rebellious teenage years, there was major panic when he hadn't returned home. The Werewolves had searched and soon found his torched body at the bottom of the mountain."

Louis picked himself up and leaned forward with wide eyes. He wasn't sure if what Rwanda was speaking of was the truth, but it sure painted a picture in his mind of a past he was always unaware of. 

"That was when the Werewolves were acknowledged of a new species superior to them, and ever since the first encounter between them, a war had kindled and kept on since then. There hasn't been peace in ages--but with you here, I can finally say that peace may soon find it's way a lot sooner than I could ever think of," her eyes grown teary, and soon enough, Louis found himself wiping at a stray tear running down her dried cheek.

He wiped his thumb across the top of her cheekbone, collecting the tear before wiping it off on his jeans. His bottom lip was in a pout at seeing the elderly woman cry, and his eyes were hooded in deep sorrow. 

"Why do you find so much faith in me?" Louis asked once he felt she had her bearings back together. " _How_ do you? I'm just a man."

She wiped at her cheekbone before bothering to answer his question. "Because the Elders have told me so. I have the same faith in Harry too. The boy comes in here when he has the chance to speak to me. To make sure my faith hasn't been lost in him when it comes to finding peace."

Louis perked at Harry's name. He had been coming here? He found himself wondering when, or if Rwanda had spilt anything about him to the Alpha. He felt himself doubting that thought, however. 

He also found it funny thinking about Harry wanting to find peace; he was the same man that killed Leader Reddair and thrown out Sasha like nothing. He was far from the picture of the word peace, but Louis also knew that people acted different for certain reasons. Maybe Harry was wearing a leader facade when he was around everybody but Louis. Or maybe he wore one around Louis?  

"Why is your faith in both Harry and I? I mean, I've been told many things about the bond between a Pure Alpha Hell Hound and Pure Omega and how powerful it is, and considering we're both belonging to those classes, that's my honest guess as to why you do have your faith in us, but I don't understand much about how a bond can bring peace. Or at least I don't understand as much as I'd like to," Louis admitted, a little ashamed over the fact that people most likely knew more about himself than others did, and having to confess that to Rwanda was like confessing the fact that you murdered a group of innocent people to an armed police officer. 

"My my, you have a lot to discover, Louis. The bond is the strongest because they're both at opposite ends of the spectrum," she looked around Louis and towards the desk, her finger rising slowly to point at the table. "Would you mind fetching some ink and the top notebook from below so I can explain better?"

Louis gladly accepted and made his way over to the wooden furniture. He grabbed the top notebook and searched for a feather that was drenched in a small jar of ink sitting in the corner of the table, hidden by the shadows of the tipi. He made his way back to the bed and took his spot at the edge again, his hands holding the materials out and watching as she guided her hands to grab them from his grip.

"In order to describe the power of the bond, I must show the spectrum of the classifications put together. It may take me some time, but it will be worth it for better understanding," she pulled the notebook open as she slowly talked, her fingertips brushing against the first page.

It was full of cursive words, the page fully taken with black ink and large dots of ink droplets. She licked her finger and turned the corner of the page until she was meet with a clean, empty sheet just waiting to be marked. Louis watched as she wrote down what was needed, and despite going completely blind and not having the best ability to see anymore, her hand writing was still fitting into a perfect set of cursive font. He watched mesmerized by the swirls and loops she quickly wrote down, his eyes following the path of the black ink slowly sinking into the paper. 

When she had finished writing, she dropped the pen carelessly on the floor and urged for Louis to take the paper into his hands. When he did, he tilted his head to read the words, his eyes scanning over the cursive font. What read was a list. It was the classification spectrum, with the top labeled as ' _Most Alpha DNA_ ' and the bottom ' _Most Omega DNA_.'

_Pure Hell Hound Alpha._

_Hell Hound Alpha._

_Pure Alpha._

_Alpha._

_Pure Hell Hound Beta._

_Hell Hound Beta._   

_Pure Beta._

_Beta._

_Hell Hound Omega._

_Pure Hell Hound Omega._

_Omega._

_Pure Omega._

Louis looked at it confusingly before Rwanda pointed at it and brought her words to her mouth. 

"You see, it's in an order. A spectrum. The pure Alpha Hell Hound has the strongest, most perfect DNA when it comes to creating offspring. Their genes haven't been tainted. Same with the pure Omega. Mix the two most perfect DNA's together from different species, and it creates something as powerful as one has ever dreamed to be. And when the time comes, the Elders would teach the very first offspring from this bond the ways of how to bring peace without a rebellion, for they're the only one with the potential for that much power and responsibility," Rwanda straightened her position by trying to pull herself up to sit, but Louis urged her to stop.

"Louis, my dear, do you know about a bond that you're supposed to be apart of? A regular bond has nothing compared to something you _will_ have. People can communicate through their souls and bonds, feel what their partner feels. But that's all through a bonding, all through _one_ bite," Rwanda grew louder at each passing second, making Louis anxious about if anybody was lurking around. 

"The bond that belongs to that of the two most perfect pures is way different. You don't have to bond through a bite to feel what regular bonds do. All of that is already there, right at your fingertips, and all you need to do is to make Harry aware of what you are and not push yourself away anymore," Rwanda was starting to get heated about the topic, her voice louder and hands moving in more motion to get the point across.

"When you learn to do that, you'll feel the bond. You'll feel _saved_. And once that bond is sealed by a bite, the bond would be as strong as you could ever imagine. Like two people in one body, like your souls and spirits were combined into one. It'll be pure bliss, and with a bond like that, you'll be living in complete and utter paradise. _Forever,"_ Rwanda stopped to take a large breath, her hand coming to brush the tangled white hair from her face. 

Louis decided to intercept her rant by holding his hand to her in a paused motion. He made sure to keep himself busy so she didn't find the courage to start again, so he grabbed the notebook and fetched the inked feather from the ground before making his way over to the table. He plopped the two objects back where they were originally and made his way back to Rwanda, his body dropping onto his knees right next to her bed. 

"You need to rest, you're heated," Louis said quietly.

"I'm passionate," she retaliated. 

"And you must be tired. Lay down and I shall come visit you once again to hear more. But I can't for now," Louis stated as he helped her slide down along her bed. 

When he tucked the blankets carefully underneath her small, gaunt body, she whispered a small thank you before giving him a quivering smile, the muscles in her face becoming weaker with age. He nodded his head before stopping at the entrance, his eyes scanning the heaving body of the elderly woman curled underneath her fur pelts. He would leave with a lot of new information, that was for sure, he just wasn't sure what exactly to make of it.

Louis slowly made his way from the tipi, the smell of burning lavender and the music of Native American flutes flooding away from behind him.  

If he was to actually be the one to bring peace, along with Harry, he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hide this secret of his.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Poll:  
> So as you all know, I have edited the chapters and figured out how many I need in order to finish the book. However, because of the way I planned everything and put certain points into a chapter, I want to know your opinions. Should I:
> 
> 1) Split the chapters shorter so you have more updates? (Of course, this would end up with having more chapters if I split stuff up separately.)
> 
> Or
> 
> 2) Continue on with the current situation, which includes longer chapters but longer publishing wait.
> 
> Sorry for the bad chapter. I know, it sucked more than the other ones. XD


	12. Not What It Seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I upload at the most weirdest times. It's currently 2:10 A.M. I decided that when I finish this book, I'll go back to edit the rest of it so it's really nice. I don't have a Beta who reads these before I upload, so oops. 
> 
> Also just wait until you read this whole chapter. I tried to make it as juicy as I possibly could.

Louis stumbled in through the large kitchen entrance and maneuvered his way around all of the almost empty tables. There were around eight or nine people still stirring within the kitchen, their eyes dropping from tiredness and bodies slumped forward over the tables. Louis didn't blame them for being tired though. It was now just past sunset and everyone seemed to be dragging themselves to their nests for a well needed rest.

But since Louis felt somewhat too high on the wait for his friends return and the overload of information from Rwanda, he found himself dragging his feet to the kitchen in search for some food. Since he did happen to recall that the last thing his taste buds celebrated had been the soup from early that day, he was surprised that he hadn't felt hungry all day until now. His stomach was growling like a thunder storm, almost like it was yelling at him for the long wait to be full again.

Louis trekked to the large counter and stood patiently while leaning against the nearest wall, his gaze searching the small amount of people in the kitchen as he awaited for someone to assist him. When a lady came stumbling from the large, wooden doors that flapped as she pushed them open, her smile grew wide and she bounced up to Louis with fake giddy. 

"What can I get ya?" she placed her palms against the counter and leaned forward as Louis approached her.

"Well, what do you recommend?" Louis asked softly. 

"What do I recommend?" she squished her lips together and looked up as she thought. "At a time like this, I would recommend some corn, perhaps some potatoes to go along with it to."

Louis shook his head yes, not bothered on what he is given--honestly, as long as he gets the food, he's one hundred percent happy--and gave the girl a kind smile. "Yeah, I guess I'll go with that."

"Great! I'll throw an extra biscuit in there for you as well," she returned his smile before disappearing into the back once again, leaving Louis to tiredly stumble back to his spot near the wall. 

When she had returned minutes later with a wooden plate full of food and a cup of cold water, Louis thanked her before turning around and picking the nearest seat to the door. If someone that Louis recognized was to return, sitting near the kitchen exit would be the best option for him to reach them as quick as he could. 

Plus, the night breeze felt nice as it escaped from outside and drafted the inside. As it brushed against his cheek lightly, he couldn't help but be reminded of a certain Alpha. One that he really wanted to see at the moment. 

Just to make sure he was okay. 

 _God, Louis was too far in._  

He slowly picked at the corn with his fork, watching as the small yellow specks danced around his plate with each forceful push. Even though he was as hungry as ever, he still couldn't find the strength to bring his utensil up to his mouth. He was exhausted from all the running and panic he had endured within the past hours, and he was sure that he was now looking like everyone else that sat in the seats around him.

He was sure he wasn't feeling this way just minutes before, but maybe taking a seat was what got him to calm down enough to realize how tired he really happened to be. 

His eyelids were halfway closed, his cheek was resting carefully on his palm, and his body was slumped forward in a great amount of fatigue. He was sure the food below him was growing colder as each second passed without it being touched, and soon enough, Louis had to force himself to sit upwards from slipping forward onto the table from falling asleep. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes before blinking them wildly to keep the sleepiness away. 

With the sudden slumber making it's way through his veins once again, Louis forced himself to take one lazy bite of the corn and then forced himself to swallow it. In the process of this, he found himself tuning out and listening to the group of four people sitting just a few seats down the table from him. 

They seemed to be out of reality with everyone else around them, and luckily, they hadn't noticed the fact that Louis almost face planted his food just seconds before from his burnout. They looked to all be fully awake and alert with one another. Their eyes were wide and smiles even wider as they looked between each other, and when their tone hushed down a little, Louis' curiosity happened to get the best of him as he tuned his hearing in to listen to their hidden words. 

"He's a complete asshat, I swear. All I did was take a drink of water and he flipped out on me in front of everyone," a pure Hell Hound Beta broke through the conversation, his tone low but harsh. "He's such a prick, seriously."

Another Beta had followed through afterwards, a sarcastic smile dressing his face as he took a quick swig of water. "When isn't Clyde a prick? We just need someone new to take his place and the whole pack would run smoother than a babies behind."

When Clyde's name brushed by the strangers lips, Louis chuckled at how much truth the words had held. He hadn't realized that the group had heard him, and despite sitting by himself, it was quite odd to laugh when alone. Louis wiped at his lips and pivoted his head to return their amused gazes, a crooked smirk dressing his face. 

"Hi," Louis held his fork up before letting it swing back down in his hand. 

"Are you listening to us?" the Beta asked, his bright blonde hair messy and misty blue eyes dancing in the candle lights that surrounded them. 

Louis wasn't at all ashamed as he shook his head yes in confession. "Yeah, but only because I heard Clyde's name. And I must agree with you, he is certainty lacking the human trait that revolves around respect, yeah?"

All four of them had chuckled in their spot, earning a smile to spread across Louis' face as he sipped water from his wooden cup. When they all quieted down, the blonde Beta had motioned with his head to behind him where the rest of his friends sat. 

"I'm Brandy. These are my friends," he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Care to join us in a drama filled conversation about how much we all despise our own War General?"

Louis didn't even have to think twice about answering. He grabbed the edge of his plate and took his drink in hand before plopping down right next to Brandy.

"Thought you'd never ask."  

❍

Louis took another swig of his water before he plopped the cup down onto the table, his smile wide as Brandy threw his arm over Louis' shoulders and reeled him into his side, their laughter intoxicating and loud throughout the empty kitchen.

"I was only eight years old when the guy comes stumbling into _our_  tent--absolutely drunk--and starts yelling at my dad for having an affair with his wife. Little did he know, however, was that he was so plastered that he walked into the completely wrong place and thought that _my_ mom was his wife," Brandy looked up as if he was remembering the scene piece by piece, his smile wide and bright as they all recollected their childhood memories.

Of course, Louis didn't exactly have the perfect childhood, so his stories revolved around fake scenarios he had to think of on the spot. But he liked to listen to the others as they talked about their childhood memories; ones that were full of mostly happy  life changing stories. But life was never just full of rainbows and unicorns. There were dark spots that someone was gonna have to go through in their life, and Louis knew that fact by heart.

"Man, I remember how angry my dad was that night. He almost beat the guy to death," Brandy continued.

"What stopped him?" Louis asked as the Beta pulled him in closer. 

"I stopped him. I was only eight years old and I was standing just a few feet away from the spot where they were fighting. Could you imagine just having to stand powerless as someone you love is just a few paces away from killing someone with their bare hands?" Brandy asked him.

And the thing was, Louis could imagine it with Harry. He could see himself having no strength against Harry as he beat someone to death, and it terrified him because Louis knew it could happen. It _did_ happen with Abdul. And not to add to the equation, but Harry was a pure Hell Hound Alpha for Christs sake, everyone was basically powerless against him. Incredible strength was in his nature. 

As if on cue of thinking about the Devil himself, Louis happened to notice a small movement from the corner of his vision, causing him to turn his head to search the entrance of the kitchen. 

There, in the middle of the open doorway, stood Harry in all his powerful glory. He wore a dark gray long sleeve shirt that hugged perfectly against his muscles and his pants were slapped tightly against his long legs. Across his back was a case of large, shiny arrows, and strapped around his torso was the bow to go along with them. His hair was sticking to his forehead and his eyes were in slits as he searched around the room, his jaw slightly clenched as he focused on trying to find something. Or someone.

Harry's gaze only paused when his green eyes meet with Louis' blue ones, and with the sudden darkness that overcame the Alphas gaze from seeing Brandy's arm slung around the Omega, Louis decided to quickly depart from the group before anything could happen.

Plus, he's been waiting all night for any news on the body and Liam. He didn't think he could go any longer without knowing the events that unfolded after their last encounter. He was dying to know what they have found--or if they found something.

"I gotta go, see you guys later," Louis stated quickly without glancing at his new four friends.

His eyes were on Harry's, and Harry's were on his. The green almost like they were beckoning him forward with an incredible force.

He picked himself up from his seat after he swiftly removed Brandy's arm from his shoulders. As soon as he was up on his two feet, he began his long trek towards the door. Harry followed his movements without speaking, and when Louis stopped directly in front of him with a questioning gaze, Harry tugged his head backwards as if telling him to step outside. Louis gladly followed, but he never found themselves stopping outside the door. The Alpha kept walking, so Louis found the reasonable option was to follow. 

"So? Where's Liam? Where's the body?" Louis asked as they took off in a long stride along the camp path.

Harry looked at him, his breath fogging the air as he huffed out in fatigue. "Liam's here and he's fine, yet there's still no killer. We did find the body but we want to keep her murder on the down low so the pack doesn’t panic, so some of the hunters are burning her body out in the field." 

Louis listened intently as he followed with the Alphas large footsteps, his brows furrowed as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"So what now?" Louis asked.

"We wait," Harry stated before earning a questionable gaze from Louis.

"For?"

"For the killer to slip up. I mean, I could smell him near the body. His scent is weird, almost like it doesn't belong to him," Harry looked off into the distance, his eyes squinting into the darkness of the camp as if he was searching for the murderer. "I'll be doing sweeps tomorrow around the pack and borders to see if I can catch the scent again—it’s one of a kind so it’ll be pretty easy to find. But if we can’t find him, we'll figure out a different way to get him before he strikes again."

Louis rolled his head along his shoulders as he brought his arms to wrap around his chest. "Well, I hope we catch him before he kills again. Or does something."

He looked down at his feet as they kept moving. The only sound between them was the crunching of rocks and dirt under their shoes, and the occasional sound of Harry's arrows clinking in their case would break through every so often. But Louis felt at peace in the silence with Harry next to him, their shoulders almost— _almost_ —brushing as they walked together down the trail.

Harry turned his head slightly to take in the Omegas appearance. Louis had his arms wrapped tightly around himself, almost as if he was freezing, and he looked to be in complicated thought as he bit his lip while staring orderly at the ground without glancing upwards. Harry stopped in his tracks, causing Louis to stop also to see the reason why the Alpha had heeled so suddenly.

"You have something to say. I know you do," Harry readjusted his bow, his bulging arm muscles almost capturing all of Louis' attention before he had to look away. 

"I just don't feel comfortable knowing that he's still out there is all," Louis told him while shrugging his shoulders.

Louis wasn't sure why he was confessing his thoughts and feelings, for he was never this open and never let people know what bothered him--just in case someone used the information to go against him--but he found himself able to be open with Harry. Something about the Alpha made him feel safe and protected, and he didn't want to let that feeling go. He couldn't let it go. Even if he tried.

Plus, when did Louis Tomlinson start to feel scared about murderers roaming freely when he used to live surrounded by them? 

And there's another reason as to why Louis was screwed. He was losing his fighter instinct. 

"Louis, you know you don't have to worry about him as long as I'm around," Harry brought his fingers below Louis' chin and pushed his head up to look at him, their eyes meeting in a pit of tension. "And not to mention, but you did happen to threaten and insult my War General, and you're a hunter in training. So I find it peculiar as to why you're uncomfortable."

Louis didn't know what to respond back with. The only thing currently on his mind was the touch on his chin and how hot it felt against his own cold flesh. Louis clenched his fists to stop himself from pushing into the touch, his throat bobbing as he swallowed from how nervous he was. 

"But I won't ask why. Now follow me," Harry told him softly.

Louis whined under his breath as Harry dropped his hand from holding his chin and turned to continue in his long stride, the blue eyed man desperately trying to keep up as he followed behind in silence.

When Louis saw his tipi, he stopped in front of the small trail that led to it and watched as Harry spun around to look at him, his eyes showing confusion and cheeks hollowed out. 

"What are you doing?" Harry squinted his eyes at Louis.

"Going to my house. What are you doing?"

"I thought you were going to stay with me again."

Now it was Louis' time to squint his eyes at Harry. He could feel his chest flutter as the words invaded his thoughts.  _I thought you were going to stay with me again._ Louis decided he liked those words, even if they meant so little to any passerby. 

"You mean at your house?" Louis questioned, his words almost stumbling. "Together? In the same room? In the same bed?"

Harry let out a loud bubbly laugh as he threw his head into the air, making Louis tilt his head in confusion as to what he found so funny. When he regained his posture, he started walking towards Louis, his shoulders bouncing up and down and dimples showing deeply on his cheeks. When Harry passed by him and began his trek down the tiny trail to Louis' tipi, the Omega found himself following every movement of the other man with his gaze.

"I don't mind staying here with you," Harry spoke while grabbing the strap of his arrow case. "And you can't kick me out because I'm the leader and you have to listen to what I say...because I'm the leader."

Louis watched as Harry disappeared into his small tent, a confused gaze circling around the entrance as he stood flabbergasted at the situation. First of all, did Harry just try to joke with him? And second of all, was Harry actually inside of Louis' tipi?

Louis realized that he hadn't moved from his spot when a head poked out from between the flaps of his tipi. 

"Well, are you coming inside or what, Lou?" Harry's voice was playful and soft as he meet eyes with the Omega.

He didn't have enough time to answer before the green eyed man disappeared back into the tipi, the flaps on the entrance bouncing as he did so. Louis had to gather his bearings from the nickname before he entered in behind him, his breathing trying to even itself out as he watched the Alpha plop down onto the edge of the bed. 

Harry disposed of his bow and arrows next to the end of the bed before he flopped backwards with a tired sigh. He closed his eyes and threw his head back into the fur pelt that was sprawled out, his jawline being tickled from the brown fur of Louis' makeshift blanket. His arms were both outstretched at his sides and he breathed slowly, his nostrils flaring as his chest heaved up and down at a snails pace. 

Louis felt at awe with the sight; with Harry laying on top his bed like it was home. He had to fight the urge to crawl over to him and cuddle up in a tiny ball into his side, but instead he focused on the need to run his finger across the sharp contour of Harry's jaw. It was either or, and he had to pick the _less_ weird option when it came to trying to satisfy his inner Omegas thoughts.

"You can have the bed. I'll take the floor," Louis attempted to start a conversation as he stood awkwardly near the entrance.  

"Don't even Louis, I'll take the floor," Harry popped a dimpled smile, his eyes still closed as he laid back completely frozen. "When I'm not leading, I am a gentleman, you know?"

"As am I," Louis fought back.

Okay, he _may_ have been lying, but Louis was gentle if you didn't look at his killing record and the lengths of what he'd be willing to go to cover up his deepest, darkest secret. 

When all he got in response was a slight humming, Louis marched across his tipi, spun around so his back was facing the bed, and plopped straight down onto his backside. He was sure to be careful of Harry's outstretched arms and clenched his jaw to keep his instincts at bay from their close proximity, their bodies just inches away from touching each other. Louis felt like he could feel the heat coming off from the Alpha, but it calmed him more than it had anything else. 

"I see you decided to join me," Harry hummed from beside him.

Louis lifted the right side of his lip into a sideways smirk, his eyes searching the top of his tipi as he drummed his fingers along the fabric of his blue shift. 

"I think it's the other way around. You decided to join me in my tent. _My_ tent," Louis paused to hear the small, deep chuckle from beside him. "And for what? I don't know. But you have an actual house with an actual comfy bed, so whatever is going on inside that head of yours, I'd really like to know."

Louis heard Harry shuffle from his right and turned to look at him, his head still thrown back and jaw sharp, but his eyes were now open and searching the air above them. 

"There's a lot of stuff going on in my head. But I can't stop thinking about something," Harry was quiet, his tone just slightly above a whisper.

"Care to explain yourself then?"

Harry dragged his arms along the soft, cold fur before he placed his hands on top of his stomach. He licked his lips and that one motion had sent Louis' heart thumping wildly.

"You and Liam discovered the body, right? Which makes you two in the most danger because the murderer caught your scents," Harry looked over at him, his eyes searching Louis'. "I've seen it before with outsiders, Louis. Once they get a hold of your scent, _boom_. They track you down and try to kill you."

Louis furrowed his brows as he felt the fur tickle his cheek. "So what you're saying is that the killer could be after me right now? Or Liam?"

Harry nodded his head before turning his gaze back to stare up at the ceiling. When he didn't say anything, Louis huffed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I'm use to it," Louis laughed to try to lighten the situation between them, but his smile had faltered when he realized exactly what he said. 

He opened his mouth to fix his words, to help play them off as a joke, but Harry beat him to it when he turned his head to study Louis' profile confusingly. He noticed the red tint dressing the Omegas cheeks.

"You're use to being hunted?" Harry questioned.

Louis forced a fake laugh to help play it off as a joke. "I was just kidding."

"Oh," Harry pouted slightly before turning away. "I was going to say, that would've been really shady."

This time they both shared a genuine laugh between each other. Their eyes were crinkled at the edges and white teeth shinning in a smile that wasn't for once forced. It wasn't until when Harry had turned serious that the laughter had died down, both of their gazes connecting in a heated pit. 

"In all seriousness though, I'll have to stay with you overnight just to watch over and protect you--just in case anything dangerous does happen to roll around," Harry stated, his lips coming out from between his lips to wet them once more. "I'll be glad to take the bottom bunk though."

Before Louis could respond--or even move a muscle--Harry pushed himself to roll over onto his left side. His arm was extended over to grab one of the many pillows that belonged to Louis, his arm brushing across the Omega's torso as his breath fanned against Louis' collar bone. He was hovering slightly over the Omega, sending Louis' whole body into overdrive with the thoughts that invaded his mind within the time limit of a few seconds. 

Louis let out a small, shaky breath before Harry disappeared from above him with one of his pillows. He picked his head up to watch as the Alpha dropped to his knees from the edge of the bed and onto the floor. He fluffed out the white pillow before carefully placing it as close to the bed as he could get. 

When Louis forced himself to look away and took a deep breath, he looked around behind him for any extra blankets he could provide for his friend. His _friend_. That word felt foreign in his mind when it came to Harry.

"Here," Louis sat up to retrieve a blanket from underneath him, and when Harry took it, he had to ignore the bolt of electricity that shot up his arm from the brush of their fingers.

"Thanks Lou," Harry fanned the blanket out over him after he found himself shuffling around to lay down in a comfortable position. 

He fell back against the hard ground, unaware of Louis' blushing from the nickname he'd just received.  

Louis peeked over the bed and at the Alpha, his hair dangling in a brown curtain that was framed against his face. "You're welcome...Haz."

Harry chuckled once again as a smirk replaced his sharp features. "Nickname basis now, are we?"

Louis laughed lowly as he picked himself up from hanging halfway off the bed. He grabbed another pillow before positioning himself back over the edge, their smiles contagious as they shown in the dark. He dropped the pillow onto Harry's stomach without warning and watched as the Alpha caught it with swift ease. 

"You started the nickname basis," Louis stated before rolling back fully on the bed, playfulness lacing his tone. "So bite me Styles."

"My my, you're getting pretty cranky. Isn't past your bedtime?" Harry joked from below.

" _Isn't past your bedtime_ ," Louis mocked him while fake laughing, his tone changing in an instant but never absent of humor. "Ha ha, _shut your pie hole_."

Louis couldn't help but bust out into a fit of chuckles when a high pitched laugh sounded from below him. It made his chest flutter and his heart melt. To be able to joke with the pack Leader was one thing, but to joke with Harry was a totally different feeling. He never expected for Harry to feel this comfortable with him, but Louis thought wrong. 

"I don't sound like that," Harry argued back jokingly, to which Louis just rolled over in his bed with inaudible mumbling.

"Lou?"

"Haz."

"You're an ass," Harry whispered throughout the darkness. 

"Am I now, Haz?" Louis whispered back.

"Yes, but you're my ass."

Louis smiled as the word _my_ passed by the Alphas lips. Even though Harry wasn't able to see how wide it was, he had a feeling the man knew exactly what he was doing to him. 

"Shut up and go to sleep, Harry."

"I'm here to watch over you, so you go to sleep," Harry retaliated before his tone grew serious. "I can sense how tired you are. Just close your eyes and rest."

And Louis did what was advised by the man. He was glad to be back in his tipi and to finally get some well needed sleep, but he couldn't help but feel a deep tug from the distance he and Harry lay. He wanted to close that distance. 

The next few minutes were full of long, dead silence in the dark. Their breathing was the only thing that was left to be heard by any other living ears. They had even fallen into sync with every exhale and inhale, making Louis smile against the darkened tent at how they're bodies naturally reached to match each other, to sync with one another. 

He felt safe with Harry lying just a few feet away from him. If something was to go wrong--despite Louis being sure he hasn't gone soft yet and could still possibly destroy any killer trying to come close to him--he knew Harry would be there to defend him against anything. Just laying there in the dark, Louis was sure he could make out the heartbeat of Harry from below him, the thumping sound invading his ears as he listened carefully to the relaxing melody. 

Louis wrapped his arms around the last remaining pillow left on his bed as he laid his head against it, the white material crinkling at the tight grip he was unaware he had on it. His fingers were digging into the soft material as he curled up around it into a little ball, almost just like a worm wrapped around a small stick. 

For the first time in a long time, Louis was sure he went to sleep with a smile on his face.

❍

_Sitting on the edge of an expensive looking duvet of red, shiny silk was none other than Harry._

_The Alphas ring dressed hands were spread behind him on the bed to support his body weight as he leaned backwards. There were numerous candles dressing the tables all around him, sending a curtain of orange streaks from the flames to reflect across the boys firm abs, the streaks of light shining on the sweat that was rippling over the muscles underneath his skin, the reflection hitting all the toned areas along his beautifully carved torso._

_Harry was currently dressed in just a pair of black boxers that hugged to all places, and to say that Louis didn’t stare at the outline of what was underneath was a complete lie. And to think the truth, from what Louis could make out with with the small, short glimpse of the fabric, Harry was surely well endowed underneath._

_However, the thing that got Louis riled up the most was the way Harry was looking at him. It made the hair on his arms stick straight up like soldiers on a battlefield. His sharp emerald eyes were glaring straight into Louis’ soul, the greenness of them cloudy in complete lust and awe. His bottom lip was stuck between his teeth and his brown hair looked as if someone had ran their hand through it about twenty times, all the pieces sticking up in a messy, alluring quiff._

_Everything about the man in front of him was memorizing. His skin looked soft and welcoming to the touch, as well as did everything else he had. Louis wanted to just run his hands over the Alpha, to memorize everything about him, and with every step he took towards the bed, Louis couldn’t find himself to stop._

_Harry's hand was reaching out to the Omega while desperate for his soft touch, and soon Louis felt large fingers snake around his own dainty hands. The Alphas skin was hot to the touch, yet the rings on his fingers were freezing cold. Louis didn’t really care though, for a large hand guided him forward before another hand came to rest on his hip. The fingers clenched around his shirt and dragged him forward so he could straddle Harry's legs, the Alphas touches urging the blue eyed man closer by grabbing the back of Louis’ knees and pulling him in._

_There was no time for a thought to come to Louis when he first felt a kiss against his lips. He wanted to sink into the feeling and savor the moment, but it was impossible when it felt like a pair of ghost lips against his own, almost like they were never really truly there. The feeling made Louis wish to_   _never wake up. He wanted to stay here and force himself to feel the passion and love between him and Harry, who's hands were now roaming up Louis’ back swiftly, his fingertips dragging along his arched spine from the sensitive touch._

_Within seconds, Harry flipped them over so Louis was now underneath him and dragged them up further on the bed. Louis' stomach was now flat on the cold duvet and the Alpha was pressed against him from on top, his bare chest placed against Louis’ clothed back._

_Louis wanted the touch; he craved it as much as a killer craved to kill, but he couldn’t find himself to move unless Harry thought the action. Like he was in control of the both of them together. He was driving Louis’ body and Louis didn’t mind it. The only thing that he did mind, however, was the fact that every touch, every breath, every little thing felt nonexistent._

_Like a touch of a ghost; like it wasn't real._

_Harry's arms snaked between Louis’ chest and the mattress as he held him lovingly, the muscles bulging in his arms with every careful movement. Louis felt at peace, even calm despite being under a lot of weight, but everything was wiped from his mind when he felt a curtain of hair tickle his cheek and a pair of wet lips kissing the curve of his shoulder and neck._

_Louis couldn’t find himself to let out any sign of emotions or pleasure. He couldn’t moan or move, couldn’t show any sign as his body ached for more touch. All Louis found himself doing was throwing his head back when Harry slightly lifted himself above the Omega. Harry's hands were now pressed into the mattress against both of Louis’ arms, keeping him tucked underneath him while unable to move, and his chest was just inches from being pressed into Louis’ back._

_Louis happened to notice how Harry's lower half was against his bottom, and within seconds of realization, Harry playfully thrust his hips against Louis' own as he placed a smiling kiss to the top of the Omegas spine. Louis found himself jolting from the faint friction before a sudden bite was pressed against his shoulder and through the fabric of his shirt. Another thrust came, but this time, Louis was jolted awake._

His eyes snapped open in an instant. 

Louis could feel the blood run to his cheeks in a blush when the dream popped up into his head. He felt embarrassed, even ashamed to think--or conjure up--such a thought, but he couldn't help it. All his trapped feelings and emotions were more than likely bubbling up inside of him and because of that, his inner Omega was taking out its fantasies within his dreams. 

With reddened cheeks and a beating heart, he flung the abnormally heavy blanket from his body and squinted his eyes in the sudden light. 

The sunlight was currently peeking through the flaps of his tipi as he attempted to sit up in his bed. When he pushed himself to sit straight up, his first instinct was to peek over the bed for any sight of an Alpha, but there was no other presence with him. There was just an empty spot below his bed, almost as if no one had ever been there.

Harry was gone. 

Louis' bottom lip slipped out to sit in a pout as he pushed the rest of his blankets off from him. However, he noticed that they were now heavier than he thought and besides for his fur pelts, there had been _more_ blankets placed on top of his own. He furrowed his eyebrows before looking around and running his fingers through his hair.

Louis did happen to note that he had all his pillows back on his bed, but there was another folded up blanket that didn't belong to him sitting in the corner of his tipi. 

It took him a confused second to put the pieces together, but he didn't strain to think of how this extra bedding got there. Because of course, Harry would be the type of person to bring some extra blankets some time in the night to wrap around Louis. 

"Really Harry?" Louis whispered under his breath as he held up one of the unfamiliar blankets.

He dropped it back down on the bed before he picked himself up to stand straight. It took him a few tries to get his balance correct from standing up so quick, but he got his bearings quickly. 

Louis sleepily stumbled across the small distance from his bed and to the baskets of clothing in the corner of his tipi. He noticed that the pain in his side had come back but only slightly. It was now a dull, aching throb. It was a sort of pain to get easily accustomed to, so he didn't mind it, even when he went to go bend down to fetch a clean black shirt from one of the baskets. 

He disposed of his blue shirt and threw it lazily to the ground before he slipped the clean shirt over his bare torso. He only managed to push his arms through the holes before the sound of his tipi flap was pushed open in what sounded like a hurried fashion.

Louis quickly turned around, his and Harry's conversation about the killer possibly hunting him flooding through his mind. He was ready to attack the person that broke into his small tent. He was ready to come face to face with the killer himself and end it once and for all, but there was no killer. All there was, was a blonde lad and a black haired man making their way to stand halfway in the entrance of his home. 

"Zayn? Niall?" Louis felt himself relaxing as he looked between them, but their wide eyed expressions told him not to let his alarm down. 

"Liam caught the killer," Zayn was quick to the point. 

There was no hello or hey. No hugs or smiles. Just the breaking of news that Louis was both happy and scared to hear. He licked his lips before speaking.

"Where?" Louis asked as he pulled his shirt down the rest of the way. 

"In the kitchen. Liam caught him around an hour ago," Niall was the one to talk this time. 

Louis motioned forward with wide eyes as he looked between them. "Well, where is he?"

Niall looked at Zayn as the black haired man motioned with a hand to follow behind him. Louis gladly agreed and was quick to be hot on his heels. No one was giving him the answer he needed, but all he wanted was to know whether Harry was acknowledged of the killer being caught. He wanted to know whether Harry was okay and helped take the killer down, or if he was completely unaware of the situation. Either way, Louis found himself wondering more about Harry than he did facts about the actual killer.

He just didn't show it.

When they all exited the tent with Zayn leading, Louis following, and Niall desperately trying to keep up the rear, Zayn finally found his voice. 

"This whole situation isn't good. There's something Liam and Harry found on the killer that can change the course of history as we know it," Zayn spoke before they rounded the trail and came into sight of the kitchen.

"It's pretty scary," Niall added afterwards.

However, Louis stayed quiet.

All around the entrance of the kitchen were a gathering of curious men and women, but no children were around to witness the crime scene that was within the four walls of the building. Louis followed Zayn before he stopped directly behind the loud crowd, their heads moving around as they tried to focus over other peoples shoulders. Louis attempted to look, but there was too many people in such a tight mass that it was no use. 

Before they could turn away to find a spot for a better look at the scene, Louis tilted his head to hear a certain conversation to his right between two Hell Hound Beta men, their voices muffled and quiet compared to the others. 

"So the rumors are true about this man, yeah?" 

"I believe that they are."

"Not only was he a killer, but they found st--actually I think I need to puke."

"You know, I just don't understand how we're going to be able to protect ourselves if this man-"

Niall appeared in front of him before he could catch the rest of the strangers sentence. Whatever was going on was massive, and Louis had to know. 

"We gotta go meet Harry and Liam at the hunting house. Harry expected you would want to come with?" Niall butted in over the loud conversations. 

Louis didn't bother to answer the question. He hesitated at first before glancing at both Niall and Zayn, their stares piercing his own as they waited for his response. But he completely ignored the question to ask his own.

"Guys, what exactly did they find on him?" Louis' voice was quiet but loud enough for the two men in front of him to hear.

Zayn looked at Niall before rocking on his heels. He scratched at the back of his neck before leaning in closer to Louis as if it was a secret he didn't want to reveal--even though it was known by the strangers Louis had eavesdropped on just seconds ago. 

"They found a little white bottle with red pills inside of his pocket. The killer was taking the pills to manipulate his scent. So he could smell like one of us," Zayn whispered under his breath. 

"The killer isn't a Hell Hound, Louis," Niall added as they watched Louis' cheeks grow pale. 

He wasn't sure how he found the courage to speak, but he managed to push the words out without stumbling through them.

"He's a Werewolf," Louis whispered under his breath as he found himself staring straight ahead in pure and utter shock. 

Louis felt like he was gonna be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....what do you guys think is gonna happen next chapter?
> 
> And I also wanted to test my smut skills so I put that little dream sequence in there. It doesn't really have plot, it was more like a treat for you smut loving readers. XD


	13. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I BET YOU ALL DIDNT EXPECT ME 
> 
> I wrote this all in one night, so I deeply apologize if this chapter is bad. Since I haven’t written some in a while, I have to get back into the gears of the story. Which shouldn’t be hard because I do enjoy writing this. I really wanted to get something out for you guys because it’s been so long. :(
> 
> But in other terms, I don’t really like this chapter that much personally. I think that since I haven’t been writing in a while, I was slacking in this chapter. 
> 
> ESPECIALLY with the editing. I kid you not, I just looked it over once and told myself “You know what, I’m gonna wing it and just post the darn thing.”

**...Last Chapter...**

**"They found a little white bottle with red pills inside of his pocket. The killer was taking the pills to manipulate his scent. So he could smell like one of us," Zayn whispered under his breath.**

**"The killer isn't a Hell Hound, Louis," Niall added as they watched Louis' cheeks grow pale.**

**He wasn't sure how he found the courage to speak, but he managed to push the words out without stumbling through them.**

**"He's a Werewolf," Louis whispered under his breath as he found himself staring straight ahead in pure and utter shock.**

**Louis felt like he was gonna be sick.**

**-**

Louis felt a hand tighten its grip on his shoulder. He looked up through long darkened eyelashes, his vision slightly blurred from the shock of the news. It was Zayn's hand, his attempt at comfort a small token of gratitude from Louis—even if it didn't help.

“Are you okay, Louis? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Niall pointed out while glaring worriedly at his friend.

Louis forced himself to shake his head to reassure both his friends that he was fine. He was _fine_. All he had to do was tell himself that and he wouldn't have to worry—something his mother always told him when he was younger. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just,” Louis paused, “Can’t believe the situation, you know?” 

Niall quickly shared a glance with Zayn before stepping towards Louis, his hand reaching out towards the blue eyed boy. But when he gripped at the fabric of Louis' sleeves, the material easily slipped through his fingers. 

"I have to go," Louis began backing up, his cheeks pale and eyes never moving from in front of him. "I don't think I can be here right now. Not with this crowd."

He took one large breath of air to settle his anxiety and spun around to quickly make his way from the crowd of people. He wasn't sure where exactly he was going, but his feet carried him away as his mind was swept away by one big wave of panic and confusion. 

"Louis, hold on," Niall took a step forward, but Zayn grabbed the blonds arm.

"Let him go, he needs to cope," Zayn pointed out, his inner doctor appearing through him. "Sometimes solitude can be good for the brain; helps you process things more clearly. So let him go."

And Niall did as he relaxed under Zayn's stern grip. By the time Zayn released his clutch, the pure Omega had disappeared into a dirt path beyond their view, leaving nothing but a faint scent of Hell Hound Alpha in the air—a scent that didn't really belong to him. But who knew that?

Possibly the man who was caught last night, but there was no telling. Louis just had to hope that whoever it was didn't know him, or if they did, that they wouldn't give away any secrets. 

Louis quickly found himself stopping at a tall, wooden water trough that was placed at the edge of a dirt trail. He ran straight to it which made him quickly stumble with his clumsiness, but he caught his balance on the edge of the trough in a swift motion. His grip tightened and the wood dug into the skin of his palms.

Louis squeezed his eyes shut before cupping the cold water from within the trough and into both of his fleshy paws. He threw it up at his face, the chill instantly numbing his cheeks, and rubbed a wet hand through his hair to moisten the strands.

Louis noted the calming feeling flush through his chest just a little, but only enough to help himself regain his breathing. 

However, he never moved from his spot. He stayed leaning over the water trough with both hands gripping tightly at the wooden edges. His eyes were still closed and a few strands of his hair fell down to curtain over his forehead.

Louis let out a deep breath before pushing himself off the trough and brushed his hair back once again to tame the loose strands. Both of his hands ran over his face to swipe the water away before flicking the loose droplets off his moist palms. His eyelids fluttered open and once he scanned the woods in front of him, he sighed deeply and threw his head back just an inch.

"Why can't this just be a nightmare?" Louis whispered to the skies above him, almost as if someone in the heavens was listening. "Isn't there a wake up switch? _Something_?"

A few seconds passed before he found himself laughing at how ridiculous he was. Of course no one could help him. This was life and, well, life wasn't good to him. With an ashamed shake of his head, he dragged his own body away from the trough in a slow pace. 

"It's okay, Louis," he told himself. "You're okay. Life just sucks sometimes—or all the time."

❍

Louis wasn't sure why he had come to the hunting house. Maybe it was because he had been wandering around for the past thirty minutes trying to talk himself out of any negative situation that could arise from the capturing of this mystery man, or maybe he finally needed a place to settle and rest up. A place where if people really,  _really_ needed him for something, they could still find him if they hadn't at his tipi. 

He also wasn't sure why he thought that the hunting house would be completely empty, because it surely wasn't. When he halted at the archway of the hunting house, he instantly locked eyes with an irritated Liam. There were a few more Hell Hound Beta men inside, but they were all quick to say their dismisses as they brushed passed Louis.

Louis stood silently in the entrance to watch them walk away, and once they were all quite a good distance, he revolved his attention back towards the alpha inside.

"Louis," Liam nodded his head in a form of greeting towards the pure Omega before glancing back down at the table. 

"Why are you here?" Louis raised his eyebrow as he entered inside.

He could feel a vibe of annoyance radiate off of his friend, but not in a sense that it was because of Louis' surprise appearance in the hunting house. When Louis stopped to stand next to Liam, he followed his friends gaze to the source.

On the table top was where he noticed what looked like a note of some sort, but it was in a language that neither of them could understand. The lines of words consisted of swirls and symbols of unknown origin, and the paper was dressed in dirt and wrinkles from being folded and crinkled endlessly.The paper itself was now a brown color to show its age of appearance to harsh environments with tiny little tears along all four of the edges.

"I'm trying to decipher this. But I don't know if it's a language or a type of symbolic code," Liam said as he bit his lip. 

Louis glared at it with interest as he sat down in the nearest chair. "Where'd you get it?"

Liam ran a hand through his hair and used his other to shove the paper in an angle to let Louis view it better. The omega found himself leaning forward to scan the black outline of words printed in ink, but it was of no use. There was too much grim covering most parts of the print and the ink was now smudged, obscuring it from the ability to be read.

"Harry found it on the Werewolf we caught last night," Liam quickly slumped into his seat next to Louis.

He was completely oblivious to the uncomfortable state Louis entered at the mention of the Werewolf. His body froze as he watched the alpha from the corner of his eye.

Liam continued, "He had it in his pocket. When we asked him what it was, he said it was just a personal letter to someone he knows. Harry put me on the duty of trying to figure this out, but I can't find even one clue about the meaning behind it."

Liam dragged the paper back in front of him when Louis looked away from it. They were both in confusion with the written code, or unknown language, and sat in silence as they both scrutinized every detail of the paper. Louis had his eyebrows scrunched in thought and Liam bit his lip in doubt. 

"Who's the Werewolf?" Louis asked as he brought his palm up to rest his chin on. "What is he? A Beta? Alpha? Omega?" 

"He's a pure Beta, but he smelt like a Hell Hound Alpha. Which isn't good  _at all_. Because now that means that any Werewolf can come in here smelling like _us_ without us knowing, and now we have to have twice the amount of guards surrounding the land, _and_ we can't allow the scouts out to gather anybody. At least until the situation clears up," Liam huffed in irritation. "I hate this. I hate Werewolves."

Louis tried to hide the slight winced expression that dressed his face. Even though he hated his own kind, he was still apart of it and he still applied to all of their rules. 

You were either a Werewolf or Hell Hound. There was no in-between. 

"So what now?" Louis bit the inside of his cheek and scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly as he attempted to change the subject. 

"We get as much information out of him as we can before we hang him at dusk," Liam bluntly stated, his eyes racking the paper in front of him. 

Chills dressed Louis' arms as the word  _'hang'_ escaped his friends mouth. They were going to hang the man for a crime that Louis was currently committing. Negative thoughts began running throughout his mind, fogging over his attention to the real world just a little bit.

What if they found out about him taking the pills also? Would he receive the same fate? Or get a free get-out-of-jail card because he was the one and only pure Omega that was struggling, even on a good day, to keep everything together?

Louis released a small sigh as he pressed his other elbow into the table. "Maybe-"

His attention was instantly caught off guard as soon as a shadow from the archway of the entrance was thrown over the large table. The two of them both snapped their eyes up to see who created such a shade, only to meet gazes with Harry. Louis' heart ached to move closer to him and to express his feelings of how much he missed him in such a short time away, but every switch in his body changed in a split second when Harry's arm reached upwards to rub at his sniffling nose.

Harry's hands were covered in bright red blood, the color certainly staining his hands and running down the length of his forearms. His black pants had dark patches on the front of the thighs as if he had continuously tried to wipe the blood onto the fabric. He had no shirt on which troubled Louis with his wandering eyes, but the amount of blood that tainted his chest and stomach was alarming. 

When Louis looked up into the piercing green eyes of his intimidating Leader, he watched the emotion in them fade from anger to calmness, like the sun was breaking through a large, dangerous storm.

"Louis," Harry nodded his head, only to get a puzzled glare back from the pure Omega. He then turned to Liam. "Any luck on figuring out the letter?"

"Nope. But who's blood? Certainly doesn't smell like your own," Liam questioned as he stood up to grab a rag that was hanging from a hook on the wall. 

He threw it towards Harry and the man caught it with swiftness. He began to wipe the blood from his hands before looking at Liam, his eyes casting a quick glance at Louis and then back to the other alpha. 

"Long story short--the Werewolf wasn't willing to work with us when we were interrogating him, so we used force," Harry brought the rag down to his stomach after he cleaned his hands, but he glanced at Louis once again before he fixed his glare downwards to clean himself up. 

This time it was Louis who spoke up in a slightly exasperated tone. "So you tortured him?"

Liam was caught off guard by the tone Louis had used. It was harsher than Louis intended to sound, but he couldn't help but feel some sort of emotion for his own kind. Maybe he was empathizing with the man because they were in the same boat--even if the man did try to shoot at him. 

"Well yes, if you wish to state it that bluntly. And I didn't want to bring it up, but he did try to kill you both, so he deserved what was coming to him," Harry answered before bringing the towel to his chest. "And we did it with do cause, because we got the information that we needed out of him."

Liam drew closer to Harry with wide eyes. "What'd he say?"

"A lot, but the most important information was where the source of these pills came from. If we know that, we can end the distribution before it gets out of control," Harry dropped the now completely bloodied rag on the table and plopped into the chair across from Louis. "And second, he told us exactly how these pills were made, so we could use the recipe for our advantage to give to our warriors."

Louis shook his head at the suggestion and straightened his posture when Harry looked at him. The Alpha furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head as he pointed at the Omega, causing Liam to glance between the two of them from where he stood at the end of the table. 

"What must you shake your head for?" Harry asked as a small, confused smile played along his lips. 

Louis looked at Liam to see if he understood his thinking too, but when there was no sign of similarity, he fell back into his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. 

"You want to use this recipe and have your warriors go out smelling like Werewolves? You do know that Hell Hound Omegas are the size of your average Werewolf Alpha? Your warriors are mostly consisting of Hell Hound Alphas who are twice the size of a Werewolf Alpha and you don't think that there's one chance they won't notice the size difference?"

Louis caught Liam shrugging from the corner of his vision as Harry leaned forward across the table to get closer to him. 

"We'll just take abnormally small Hell Hounds like you and train them to be spies. How does that sound for you, Louis?" Harry leaned backwards and threw an arm over the back of his chair. 

To say that Louis was silently fuming was an understatement. He was more than angered at the Alpha for bringing up his size, yet he was also on the edge at the same time. He licked his lips before scooting to the edge of his chair. 

"Okay, but what if someone of ours was caught? The Werewolves would be in our predicament right now," Louis paused to look between the two of them. "They would find out about the pills and use them against us also, which wouldn't be good. And not to mention, but our own kind would probably also get confused on this tactic too if we had warriors walking around smelling like Werewolves. It could cause complete Hell. It'll be best to drop the idea of the pills completely before the whole other side becomes aware of it."

When Louis was finished with his statement, he watched Harry shush Liam with a single finger before he could talk. Harry squinted his eyes at Louis and hollowed out his cheeks, something he did to show that he was in deep thought.

"I never told you that the whole other side didn't know about this pills, so how would you know that?" Harry's tone was quiet and serious, alerting Louis of his mess up, but he was quick to fix himself in a complete lie.

"Because wouldn't there be more undercover Werewolves that we would've discovered by now? Plus, even if the other side knew, we would've figured this out way earlier than the timeline now," Louis continued without any second thought, hoping that they'd both take that reason without any further questions. 

They both seemed to accept it slightly. With a quick shared look between both Harry and Liam, they dismissed the situation silently and avoided any future debates with the pure Omega. Instead, Liam was quick to jump on the advantage of the quiet to change the subject. 

"Where's the source and how do we take it out?" 

Harry ran a crimson tainted hand through his hair and stifled a small cough into the crook of his elbow. "He said his source was from an old Beta who goes by his last name: Gilborn..."

Louis wasn't sure why he was surprised to hear that name. It wasn't like he knew more people who made these pills. He guessed that deep down, he told himself that the man that was caught got his source from someone else, that maybe Mr. Gilborn shared his secret to someone else, but he was wrong.

Louis was sure that Harry was still talking. He could see his lips moving, but his ears weren't tuned in to listen.

Once the word Gilborn had slipped from Harry's mouth, every sense of Louis' went completely numb; as if the world turned completely off for a few seconds. He was unaware of the words being spoken between the alphas or the low whines of distress he was emitting. He squinted his eyes and rubbed at them with his palms, and once he dropped his hands to gather in his lap, the world was back on full blast. 

The sounds of the birds outside began chirping again and the wind blowing slightly against the walls howled ever so slightly. He didn't hear Harry talking, but when his eyes meet with a pair of concerned green ones from across the table, he lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head. 

"What?" 

"I said are you okay?" Harry repeated. 

"Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" Louis glanced at Liam, only to get the same concern look back.

"You were whining in distress," Harry pointed out. He leaned closer to Louis. "Are you sure you're okay? Because I can take you to Zayn right now."

Louis forced a smiled and chuckled as genuine as he could. It was harder than he thought with his mind clouded with thoughts of Mr. Gilborn being killed by the hands of Harry, or any Hell Hound for that matter. Not only was he Louis' only friend throughout a majority of his childhood years, but he also provided Louis with his pills.  

If they were to kill Mr. Gilborn, then Louis was basically done with.

Louis wondered if he could try to make the recipe himself, but his suppressants? Imagine having a Hell Hound Alpha going into heat in the middle of the day. Plus, it wasn't like he could find another person who would be trustworthy enough to provide him with what he needed. He would be an Alpha in the eyes of a stranger, asking for suppressants that he needed specifically made stronger for himself--for a pure Omega. 

If Louis was to ask that, concerns would be in order and he'd be caught in an instant. 

He could also decide to just reveal his identity, but there was a fifty percent chance of falling prey to Harry's anger and being killed on the spot. Another choice was to run away, but where would he go? He wouldn't be able to go far because he needed to stay in range of Mr. Gilborn for suppressants and there was no way he wouldn't go without them. And if he has to stay in range of his supplier, than that meant he was also in range of scouting Hell Hound groups. 

And Louis didn't want to be aware of the thought in his mind, but he knew deep down that Harry would go looking for him. He always would.

"Okay, I'm taking you to Zayn. You just blacked out there again," Harry drew Louis from his thinking and stood up from his chair, causing the Omega to panic.

"No no no, I was just thinking. I swear that I'm fine. There's just a lot going on with this pill stuff," Louis stood up as well and faced Harry in an attempt to persuade him that he was actually alright.

"Lou-"

"Harry, I'm good, yeah? You got a Werewolf to take care of and I got to go meet up with Niall to help him with God knows what."

Okay, he may have lied, but that wasn't the first time. 

"But speaking of Niall, I should probably get going right now," Louis took absolutely no time to stand and wait for a response. He walked straight passed Harry without another glance and hurried outside into the nice breeze.

Once he was sure of no one following him and made it to a semi secluded area, he found himself bent down and leaning over the edge of the trail. His hands were gripping the fabric of his shirt near his stomach as he puked up last nights meal. 

❍

Hours passed with Louis holed up in his own tent. 

There wasn't any interruptions by his friends which he was undeniably thankful for. He wasn't really in the position to be caught doing what he was currently doing now--which consisted of him creating a rescue plan to warn, and save, Mr. Gilborn.  

Louis was sure that if someone was to find this paper, he would be in some deep fire and forced to do some explaining. He knew he had to be careful and in order to do that, he wrote what he needed to backwards. He didn't know any other languages--he wasn't allowed in school, so it wasn't like he had a chance to learn any--and he wouldn't remember his own code if he tried to write something in his own cryptic language. Sure, he could write it on a piece of paper, but that would take up extra time he didn't have to just create a system of coding he would use most likely once in his life.

And once he goes through with his plan, he'd burn the paper right away. But for now he would stash it in his pillowcase until the day he would be able to accept that Mr. Gilborn was okay. 

Louis stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth and bit down slightly as he finished writing down a word near the bottom of the paper. When he placed his pencil down next to him on his bed, he scanned back over his plan. 

It took him twice the amount of time to read it since the words were written backwards, but he could still read it with enough clarity.

His plan was this; since he was going to be a hunter and would be on his first hunt soon, that would be the perfect time he'd go through with this, considering that he wouldn't have to sneak out and hide the fact that he was mysteriously out and about. He couldn't risk it, especially not if someone was to go looking for him but found him missing.

During his time of his first hunt, he would purposely separate himself from everyone else and become _'lost'._ At that point, he would be quick and search for Mr. Gilborn. He knew the man, knew his scent and where to find him, so he figured it wouldn't be hard to locate the old man. And once he found him, he would warn him of the danger.

And despite it sounding like a bad decision with the current situation, Louis had no choice but to add to his list the step of getting his pills. He didn't want to get them and have a chance of someone discovering them, but he also _can't_ go without them. If he can't get them, then it's game over. 

He just needs to find a good place to hide them. 

Louis decided to read it once again just in case there were any mistakes to be corrected, but when he saw not one within the letter, he folded it up and stuffed it into his pillowcase as far back as he could. He also made sure to put it on the side underneath so he wouldn't have to rest his head uncomfortably on it. When he extracted his arm from the pillowcase, he fluffed up the pillow and set it back in it's original position--not like anyone knew where it was before.

"Louis?" 

He jumped as his name was spoken from a familiar voice outside his own tent. 

"Harry?" his voice was laced with confusion as a deep crease was made between his scrunched up eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

Before Louis could even lift himself off the bed, the Alphas head popped in through the open entrance. He ran his eyes up and down Louis' small frame before he motioned for Louis to follow him outside. 

"It's time for the hanging."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?
> 
> Again, my apologies for the wait! I admire everyone that stuck by and waited the whole time for this update! I love you!   
> I also apologize for any wrong spellings.


	14. The Hanging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is a death scene in this chapter, so please read carefully!
> 
> PLEASE READ: Low-Key accidentally hit post instead of edit and I don’t know how to unpoST AND I DONT WANNA TAKE THIS CHAPTER AWAY FROM YOU GUYS SO NOW IM PANICING BECAUSE I HAVENT WRITTEN THE SECOND PART AND NOW I HAVE TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THE NEXT CHAPTER. IM SORRY THAT THIS ONE IS SMALL IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BECAUSE I ACCIDENTLY HIT POST AND I DIDNT EVEN GET TO EDIT. I AM DYING INTERNALLY RIGHT NOW 
> 
> Two more chapters before we really jump into the MAJOR fluff. I’m so ready. You all just gotta hang on until the good stuff.

“Walk with me,” Harry raised his hand up for Louis to take, his body still halfway through the entrance of Louis’ tipi.

Louis was timid to reach out, but Harry's pleading eyes had gotten the absolute best of him. He reached his smaller hand forward and slipped it across the Alphas, their hands fitting perfectly together as if they were two perfect puzzle pieces. Harry's hand, of course, was much larger than Louis' own. His whole hand was easily encasing the Omegas.

Harry smirked slightly at Louis when their gazes connected, causing a deep dimple to carve into the side of his cheek as he ushered the Omega gently outside. Louis had to admit, the man was incredibly charming yet intimidating at the same time.

When Louis found himself outside completely, the warmth and abnormal softness of Harry's hands fall away from his own, making him pout to the other who stood oblivious. However, Louis sucked it up and mentally slapped his inner Omega.

"So, where's the hanging happening at?" Louis lifted an eyebrow in wonder as he followed in the long strides of his company. "Also slow down, you have longer legs than I do."

Harry slowed to allow Louis to come up next to him, a small chuckle exploding from deep within his chest.  

"You have to walk faster, Lou."

"No, you have to walk slower."

"Do I now?"

Louis playfully elbowed Harry as they walked side by side. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face, but it faded instantly.

"You know, this is supposed to be a serious moment. We shouldn't be joking around just as we're about to watch the hanging of someone," a heavy feeling began stirring within the depths of Louis' chest. He couldn't pinpoint if it was empathy or sorrow. He just knew it was _something_.

Louis was caught off guard as soon as Harry's arm was thrown around his shoulders. The alpha pulled him in close and let out a sarcastic chuckle, sending Louis' omega into overdrive.

"He's a Werewolf. We're Hell Hounds. It's more natural for us to laugh in the face of the enemies death, not mourn for them, my dear," Harry did have a point, at least for his side of the story.

But for Louis' side, he didn't because he wasn't a Hell Hound.

But were the Werewolves his enemy as well? In a way yeah, they were. He was an outcast to them, but he was still apart of their kind no matter how much he hated that fact. There was no escaping it, at least in a safe way that didn't involve having to take pills and living every day in fear that your deepest, darkest secret would be made public.

Louis slightly slumped his weight into Harry instinctively. His scent coated him like extraordinary perfume and their proximity sent sparks along his body as if lightening had struck him down and cursed him. He liked being close to Harry. It satisfied his inner Omega.

"I guess you're right. I'm too sensitive," Louis rubbed at his forehead as if he was trying to erase the thoughts from his mind, but he dropped his hand once it started giving him a headache.

"There's no such thing as too sensitive," Harry pointed out as dropped his arm back to his side. "You just empathize better with others is all. Nothin' wrong with that."

Louis cocked his head to one side as he turned to look at him. "That's what you think?"

"It's what I know."

”So you don’t see it as a sign of weakness? To feel bad for the...” Louis paused to search for the word, “To feel bad for the foe?”

Harry shook his head and pressed his lips together into a thin line. “Not necessarily, no. To show emotion is being human, and being human is a blessing in itself. You’re gifted with life and the ability to feel, and if you’re sad at the current situation, then that’s just you being human.“

Louis listened intently and stared straight ahead in awe as Harry talked. Louis didn’t view him as a man to hold deep conversations with others--he had an intimidating vibe that rang danger and power, so to hear someone like him talk in a way that relaxed Louis made him shiver. He was proven wrong about the alpha yet again. And to top it all off, Harry didn’t stop with his little speech.

“Louis, your mind may be telling you that the man about to die is a bad man, but your heart doesn’t know that. And that’s why it aches. Because our hearts don’t know the difference between good and bad, it just knows the difference between life and death. So for you to feel sad is just your way of saying that your heart is stronger than your mind.”

Louis lifted his chin to look up at him and received the same awestruck glare back. Their eyes searched each other’s in silence, almost as if they were undressing every little part of each other’s soul. Louis wanted to reach out and touch Harry, to feel the Alphas skin back underneath his own. But he didn’t have the courage to do it. He never would. 

He invested on the thought to look away, as did Harry, and ducked his head to gaze down towards his feet. The tips of his shoes never looked so much more interesting than before and every little rock he accidentally kicked was entertaining to watch as it flew across the dirt. 

“You know, you never answered my question,” Louis was still watching the ground.

”What was your question?”

”Where’s the hanging?” 

Harry lifted an arm and slowly placed his fingertips underneath Louis’ chin—see, _that_ was the courage Louis wanted; to be able to touch Harry whenever he wanted. He gently pushed the Omegas head upwards to get him to look up ahead, sending a fire to drift between both players of the touch. They didn’t speak of it, they let it fade into nothing as soon as Harry dropped his hand. 

“Right there,” Harry pointed across from them. 

And sure enough, there was a large wooden gallow just a few yards ahead of them. On top of the platform stood a man—which Louis assumed was the victim of the hanging—in a large baggy cream shirt that was tucked messily into a pair of baggy black pants. A brown fabric was hugging every angle of his head to keep anyone from seeing his true identity, but his stench was high in the air. It reeked of fear and shame etched with the smell of bad body odor and urine. His smell in general, however, wasn't one that Louis recognized. 

But he also didn't know that many people either.

All around the man were people dressed in their casual attire, their bodies relaxed in their movements and smiles wide like this was just another normal day. They seemed to lack any type of empathy for the fearful man they were surrounding. Louis was sure he heard a laugh from one of them, but he couldn't quite pinpoint which person had created such a sound at a time like this. He wanted to cover his ears and yell out, yet he forced himself to stay strong for himself and Harry. To show courage in a time he felt it was needed.  

He may have been a pure Omega, but to all the men around him, they saw him as one of their own; as a Hell Hound Alpha. He needed to play the part, not just smell like it. 

But for Louis, it was hard to play the part as he felt a heavy feeling settle along in his chest when he drew closer to the large gallow. There was no crowd, no cheering, no nothing. Just pain and suffering that swallowed the air, which in return had swallowed all of Louis too. 

"Harry," one of the men on the stage hollered out to them both, causing the two to follow the path of the sound. 

_Clyde._

Clyde bowed his head respectfully to his leader as they both drew closer to the gallows. Harry nodded once in response to the formal greeting before dismissing his friend of his attention. Once Clyde's eyes rested on Louis, his demeanor instantly changed from deferential to completely tense. 

"It's a surprise to see you again, Mr. Tomlinson," Clyde didn't attempt to hide the sarcasm that dripped in his voice. "Didn't take you as one to be brave enough to come here. Watching someone die isn't good for the weak. Can _really_ cause some mental damage to someone like you."

Louis didn't know how to describe the feeling in his chest at that moment. He just knew that it was a strong sense of anger that radiated from deep within his core and towards the War General, the sensation feeling almost like a burning pit of fire. 

"I admire your sense of humor, but do watch your back. Someday you will be at the end of my blade," Louis warned as he stopped to let Harry climb the stairs up to the platform of the gallows.

Louis followed suit right after and cringed at every creak the wooden stairs made. Nothing was worse than Clyde's laugh, however.

"I hope so. Do promise me," Clyde jokingly chuckled as he rested his hands on his hips.

As soon as Louis made his way up onto the platform, he jerked his head in Clyde's direction to send a toxic glare to the source of his anger. He clenched his teeth and shook his head in annoyance. He wanted the other to know he was serious with his words.

"Promise," a fake smile tugged at his lips before Harry interrupted them both from continuing, his voice low and laced with irritation. 

"If I have to stand here and tell you how to act like an adult, then you need to leave," Harry directed his attention toward his War General, making Louis chuckle from deep under his breath.

When Harry turned to Louis, he quieted down and quickly hurried his pace passed the angered alpha to claim a spot in the corner of the platform. He kept his glance anywhere but Clyde and Harry in fear of being ejected from the event and opted on scrutinizing the Werewolf in silence instead. 

 _Shivering_.

That was the very first thing that Louis closely detected about the man. The wind was soft and contained not the slightest wintry breeze, and despite that fact, Louis chalked it up to the mans nerves in his body from the thoughts of death being minutes, or seconds, away.

Louis couldn't imagine just _standing_ there while knowing that his death was imminent. If he was the one to die, he would be running off the gallows as fast as his legs could possibly take him.

But that was another thing. The man didn't have his hands tied behind his back or anything of that sort. He just stood there with his shoulders slumped lazily forward and hands hanging loosely at his side. He had every chance to run and he hadn't taken it, and that was because of one thing that scared him more than being a gallow victim. And that was Harry. He would rather die at the gallows than be a victim between the Alpha's powerful jaws.

Louis quickly shot a glance towards Harry who was currently with another pack member, who's identity was currently unknown to him. 

If Louis was in the mans shoes, he wouldn't have run either. Not when he knew there was a pure Hell Hound Alpha around and ready to strike at any time. They were the fastest--and strongest--of every kind, leaving absolutely no chance of survival.

The man had a choice of fate and took the easiest of the two.

Nonetheless, Louis felt like he could feel what the man was feeling, or taste the blood in his mouth from biting down on his tongue too hard, or feel the shiver through his body as Harry pulled away and Clyde stepped forward to grab a hold of the scratchy noose. 

It wasn't until Clyde placed the noose around the mans neck that he had to glance away for a few seconds. The sound of a heartbreaking sob tore through the fabric that sat on top the Werewolves head, sending Louis' overdrive into sorrow and panic. He looked back and pinched the inside of his arm to get his emotions together. He could do this. He's killed people before, so why couldn't he get through watching this Werewolf's death?

"Ready?" Clyde turned to look at Harry as he tightened the rope around the mans neck. 

Harry shook his head to tell Clyde to continue onward with his actions. Once everyone backed away to get off from the swinging door underneath the mans feet, Harry found himself coming to stand next to Louis. The closeness was nice to have for Louis, but it wasn't enough for him to calm him down to a relaxing level of any sort. 

Louis wasn't sure why he felt this way, but it may had to do with the haunting idea that this man could be him one day. When he looked at the pained Werewolf in front of him, he could see himself. And that's what terrified him. That was why he didn't want to watch this. 

He was scared to die. He was scared because he was feeling fear. He was scared for someone to find out his secret.

He wanted to be free of everything and tell Harry right there who he really was. The earlier he told him, the less chance of actually dying, right? He knew that if he did come out to him with his secret, Harry would provide him with protection and all the affection any mate could possibly ask for from their partner, but Louis felt scared to love and to be loved. 

He felt like he didn't deserve it and maybe deep down he didn't. He was unlovable. And that was what scared him. That he was going to die like this man, surrounded by people who want to make him feel alone and not cared for. 

Before Louis could drown in his self-hatred, he was dragged from his negative thoughts at the sound of Clyde's heavy boots making their way slowly to the level that opened the door from underneath the Werewolf. He could hear the pleading whines of the man. Louis' eyes burned from trying to keep them open for too long and his molars were biting into the side of his cheek. He watched silently, but painfully.

"I, Clyde the War General, wish to sentence you to death for the sins you have committed," Clyde had no emotion in his voice. It stayed monotone and held down nothing but tiredness. "May you rest in peace somewhere far from us."

Louis watched with tears trapped in his waterline as he stood just feet away from the man. He was sure he heard the level being pulled and the door swinging open. He heard the rope as it tightened and the creaking of the wood from the old gallow. But before he could hear or see anything else he wished not to, a hand had found its way in front of his eyes to cover his vision from the site. Breath tickled his ear as Harry talked softly in his ear. 

"You're the only one here that has a heart that's louder than your mind. You don't need to see this."

And in that second, Louis knew Harry was wrong. 

Harry may have been a big, bad, intimidating man who could end anyone in a heart beat. But in that moment he had showed his true colors. He had kept Louis from watching the man die in front of his very own eyes. He talked to keep Louis from hearing the desperate gagging for breath from the Werewolf. 

He kept Louis sane, and for that, Harry's heart was louder than his mind.

At least when it came to Louis. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love your comments, so feel free to leave them! I love to just go through and read all of the things you guys leave me, I don’t think I’d ever be able to put into words how happy I get whenever I read just one comment talking about this book. Thank you!


	15. Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than planned because I accidentally hit post instead of edit on last chapter, so I incorporated the second part into this one!
> 
> I also can't believe I uploaded twice today. You guys are getting spoiled right now. 
> 
> P.S. I hope you all remember who Brandy is in this story. He was only in the story once, and I'm not sure if anyone recalls him.

Louis found himself sitting at the table within the pack meeting house. Liam, Clyde, Harry, and all the others who had a presence at the hanging were surrounding themselves at the table also, their smiles spread from ear to ear and laughter barking loudly in an echo off the stone walls. Jokes and playful arm punches were thrown around as they talked within a small group, leaving Louis to sit alone at the end of the table while he silently twirled water inside of his wooden cup.

There were no words spoken between Louis and anyone else after the death of the Werewolf. His silence spoke words, however, and made the others keep their distance until he was ready to speak. 

And despite wanting--and needing--a much needed break to think, Harry still made his way to sit next to Louis. The rest of the group watched as their leader departed from them, his disappearance an obvious one as his powerful aroma shifted spots in the room. 

Clyde shook his head in annoyance as he watched Harry claim a seat right next to the Omega. He clenched his jaw angrily and took a swig of his water before looking away to join the rest of the group in their conversation. 

Louis’ heightened senses caught wind of this irritation within the room and he almost smiled when he realized who it came from. He detected it radiating from where Clyde was currently sitting and surveyed the detail of the man’s fingers clenching around his cup as he bit down harshly. Louis didn’t even have to ask what was wrong, he knew what was bugging the man; the fact that Harry—his strong leader—was hanging out with Louis more than them. 

He would’ve chuckled loudly but refrained from making the man any more angrier. That was probably the last thing he needed at the moment.

”How are you doing?” Harry asked as soon as he was in his chair, his eyes full of wonder and worry for the Omega. 

Louis shrugged his shoulders slightly. “I’m doing better. How about yourself?”

”I’m okay. But I came over here because I’d rather talk about how you feel, not me,” Harry stated as he fiddled with his fingers.

He didn’t directly look at Louis as he spoke. Instead he stared at the table with hooded eyes and pressed his lips together into a thin line as he flicked small food crumbs off from the table top. 

A faint crease found its way between Louis’ eyebrows. “Why do you wanna talk about me?”

“Because you’re my friend?” 

Louis paused from speaking. Harry lifted his head up to advert his attention to Louis, one eyebrow raised and eyes searching the Omegas. Louis' mouth was slightly left open which left Harry amused.

“Why do you look so shocked? We’re friends, yeah?” Harry eyed Louis as the Omega smiled and looked down at the table.

”Yeah,” Louis felt a chuckle escape from his throat, one that he couldn’t help to conceal. 

“What’s so funny?”

”I don’t know. I just...” Louis paused to gather up his thoughts as he continued, “Never thought of us as friends. I always saw it as some sort of a pack member, businesslike bond. But in a way that it’s just you helping me become part of the pack.”

Harry squinted his eyes at him as he listened to what Louis had to say. When they stayed in silence for a few seconds, Louis broke the quiet space between them as Harry thought to himself. 

“Do you get what I’m saying?” Louis queried.

”Yes. And I do agree with you on some part of what you said. I want to help you become part of the pack as quick as possible. But I also find that you have a very likable vibe that’s hard to explain,” Harry rubbed at his chin as he thought about his next words, his eyes squinted and mouth slightly open.

He grew quiet until he resumed what he was speaking of from before. “You’re fun to be around because I feel as if I can act like myself around you. But with them,” he motioned his head to the group of men just a few chairs down, “I have to lead them and in that process, I have to ignore my feelings to become what they want to see in me as their ruler. And all because of what I am...which is a pure Hell Hound Alpha, who just so happens to want to find his pure Omega.”

Louis’ heart grew heavy for Harry as he vocalized what he was thinking. The feeling kept him rooted in his seat as if there was an anchor that would never be pulled up to let him loose. 

He wanted to yell at Harry that _his_ pure Omega was right here. Right in front of him.

“So you feel as if you can’t be yourself around them? Like you have to hide who you really are?” Louis moved his cup so he could rest his forearms on the table, that way he would be closer to hear better.

Harry shook his head before grabbing his own cup and throwing his head back to drink the last remaining drops of water. Louis watched him before he drifted his cloudy gaze to the table top. He traced a small circle with his thumb as Harry placed the empty cup back down with a slam louder than he intended.

Louis bit the inside of his cheek as he began tapping his leg up and down in a rage of anxiety. Although the atmosphere was calm and in good spirits from the group—besides from Clyde—Louis could still feel the dampness in the air that hugged to his skin. His mind was cloudy with thoughts and his heart was yelling at him to come clean of what he had to hide. 

_Tell him! Tell him now!_

_Please! Before it’s too late!_

_He’s staring right at you! This is the right time to tell him! He cares about you!_

_He considers you as a friend, don’t you wanna be more?_

”You’re thinking about something,” Harry leaned forward to be closer to Louis. He plopped his elbow on the table and rested his chin on top of his palm. “What's on your mind?”

Louis looked up at him through thick eyelashes before tapping his knuckles along the table. His mouth was opening to speak the words of who he really was, but the truth felt like it was lodged in his throat. He closed his mouth to taking in a deep puff of air through his nostrils and rubbed at his eyes with the front of his palms.

”I was thinking about how hard that’s gotta be for you,” and there goes Louis’ chance of being heard. 

Harry huffed and gave Louis a small, closed half crooked smile. His eyes flickered between the blue of the Omegas eyes and his plump lips before he looked down at his long, bony fingers. “Yeah...I guess so.”

The laughter of the group brought Louis’ attention to them. Clyde was pointing at a red haired man across from him as he smiled brightly, their mouths moving as they spoke about a moment that happened many moons ago. Liam found Louis’ eyes and sent a crooked smile his way. 

He watched as the brown eyed man patted his friend next to him on the back before standing from his chair. 

“Liam, where you going bud?” Clyde asked as he threw his arm back over his chair, the remnants of his laughter still haunting his voice. 

Liam pointed at both Louis and Harry. “Over to the lads.”

Clyde looked over at both Harry and Louis who sat peacefully at the end of the table, their eyes shifting between both Alphas at the other end. 

“Leave the two love birds to their shenanigans. Plus, Louis should be getting back to bed,” Clyde pointed at Liam to hurry back to his seat, but Harry was quick to shut him down. 

“You know Clyde, I’m getting real sick of the way you’ve been acting lately,” Harry turned in his seat and straightened his back as he leaned into his chair. “If you got something bad to say, you either keep it in or you say it to me.”

Clyde rolled his eyes and shook his head as everyone watched the interaction. Harry’s jaw was clenched and his arms were crossed over his chest as he stared with a fire ablaze in his eyes. 

“Whatever, I’m just joking,” Clyde lifted his drink to his lips and took one sip of his water before he placed it back down. “You need to calm down Harry.”

Everyone--except for Liam, Harry, and Louis--chuckled as the War General began mocking his own leader, his voice purposely lowered and shoulders lifted as he shook his head.

“I’m Harry and I’m a big bad Hell Hound. Look at me being sensitive at jokes,” Clyde ridiculed before slumping back into his seat. “Get a damn grip.”

Throughout this whole interaction, Louis was shocked at such a situation. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hung open as he listened to the man speak badly about his own leader, even despite the fact that Harry was in his presence and sat there to take it all in. Louis looked at Liam to take in the disappointment that was etched along the lines of his face. His head was tilted to one side and eyelids heavy as he looked at Clyde. 

Louis then turned to Harry who was glaring daggers at his own War General. Was he not going to do anything? 

“Is that really how you’re going to talk to him like that?” Louis’ voice was higher than normal as he pointed his thumb at Harry. 

Clyde was quick to turn to Louis. “Oh you shut up. This doesn’t involve you.”

Louis was quick to shoot up from his seat, the chair falling backwards and smashing into the floor as he made his way around Harry. The large hand that gripped his wrist stopped him from moving any farther.

”Let go of him Harry, I wanna see what he’s got packed behind him,” Clyde rose from his seat as well, but Liam was quick to step in front of him. 

Louis spat at Clyde and gently tried to tug at his wrist, but Harry’s grip was way too tight for him to yank it away. His vision was filled with red and his skin was hot to the touch as he pulled even harder. 

“Louis stop,” Harry placed another hand on his forearm to keep the Omega steady in his balance, his voice also full of anger. 

“Yeah Louis, stop before you get yourself killed,” Clyde pushed forward, but some of the others from the group were now holding him back from pouncing forward.

Louis laughed in a fit of rage and shook his head as Harry pushed him back into his own seat that he picked up from the floor. Louis sat down in a strict obey from the Alpha that was trying to calm him, but his attention never left the War General. 

Clyde had underestimated Louis in all ways. He may be small and fragile to them, but he knew how to fight. He had power in him that none of them had seen just yet, and he was ready to put himself to use once more if needed.

Harry's hand was still wrapped around Louis’ wrist, but in a more gentle grip as he stood next to the blue eyed man, both of them watching the intense situation from across the other end of the table. Liam shoved Clyde backwards to get him back into his seat as the others relaxed him with soothing words of ‘ _calm down_ ’ and ‘ _it’s not worth it_ ’. 

“You’re gonna get it one day Tomlinson. I swear on my parents grave,” Clyde bellowed throughout the room as he swatted everyone’s hands away from him. His cheeks were red from the blood that rushed to them and his eyes were darker from the amount of hatred that clouded them. 

Once he was settled in and quiet, Harry released Louis’ wrist and rubbed at his temples as everyone settled into their original spots. Louis was surprised that Harry was quiet throughout the whole ordeal, he would’ve expected something else from the man. Maybe a punch or a yell, _something_. 

But as soon as Harry had ran his hands through his hair and turned to glare at all of them, Louis felt his stomach drop into a pit of dread. Harry’s green eyes were droopy from exhaustion and his face was written in pure disappointment from the situation. You could tell he was tired. Tired of everything. 

Louis could see it in the way he slumped his shoulders and held himself lazily. Harry didn’t even have to say it. When it came to him, Louis already knew what he was feeling. Harry wasn’t happy with the situation that had went down. 

“Clyde,” Harry looked at the fuming man with a deep disapproval. If life was a cartoon, Louis was sure that both men would have smoke coming out of their ears.

”Don’t start it with me Harry,” Clyde warned lowly under his breath as he covered his mouth with his clenched fist. “I don’t have time to listen to your _bullshit_.” 

Louis could feel his skin burning hot once again at the way the man was acting. He moved onto the edge of his seat but stopped once his glare connected with Harry’s. His eyes were pleading for Louis to stay still and not get involved, and he silently agreed by a small nod of his head. 

Harry crossed his arms and pressed his back against the edge of the table. One leg was crossed over the other as he stood with all his weight leaning against the table, his head turned so he could look Clyde directly in his eyes. 

“You need to relax,” Harry calmly stated.

Clyde stood up quickly, causing the chair to scrape against the floor and beat at Louis’ heightened senses. Louis flinched and clenched his teeth from the sharp pain in his ears, but he kept still and focused his gaze on the two Alphas. 

“Don’t tell me to relax, I have every right to be angry here,” Clyde moved closer to Harry as he pointed at him. 

At this point, even though Clyde was the one with the raised tone in his voice, Louis still found Harry to be more scary. He was relaxed in the face of danger and didn’t hold himself up to size the other. He didn’t need to.

”Sit down,” Harry’s gaze never left Clyde’s. The War General, however, looked Harry up and down in a way of sizing him up. 

“I can take you on. Easily,” Clyde hit his own chest before flinging his arms out to his sides. He was now yelling, the veins in his neck protruding from his skin as he leaned forward. “Hit me! I wanna see you man up!”

”Clyde,” Liam was coming up to stop the interaction, but Harry emitted a low warning growl from deep within his throat to tell the others to keep their distant. 

Harry still didn’t move, even when Clyde lowered his arms and shook his head in dissatisfaction. He let out a sarcastic laugh as if to show how ashamed he was at his leader. 

“You're weak. I tell you, you’re weak!” Clyde stepped even closer.

His hands shoved at Harry’s chest, but he hadn't even moved one inch. Louis felt the energy shift within the small space, almost like a light had been turned on and it instantly flooded the whole room. It was a negative vibe that stirred from between the two Alphas. 

Clyde shoved at Harry once more. Louis expected the same reaction; no movement and no words, just angry stares and silence. But this time was different. This time, Louis watched as Harry broke down despite every fiber in his body telling him not to. Harry was quick to throw his arm forward in the perfect right hook, his fist skillfully connecting with the side of Clyde’s jaw with so much power that sent the man flailing backwards. He lost his balance and landed backwards, his nose instantly gushing blood with the power of the impact. 

Harry stalked forward to hover over him, his fists clenched and jaw tight as he watched the man scurry back to rest against the wall. Clyde’s chest was rising in quick repetitions as he glared guiltily at his own shoes. Louis watched the man embarrassingly break under Harry’s dominating stare.

“Okay, okay,” Clyde whispered as he lifted one hand up to shield himself. A path of blood was now gushing from his nose and trailing down across his lips as he tried to pull himself up. 

“You done?” Harry’s voice was low and dangerous as he spoke. 

Clyde shook his head as he wiped the blood from his nose. “Yeah, I’m done.”

”Good, now leave,” Harry ordered.

Clyde was quick to obey without glancing at anyone within the room. He stayed close to the wall for balance and pushed open the door in a loud bang. Once Louis wasn’t able to see the back of his head anymore, the air in the room returned back to light-hearted. 

Louis made his way around the table slowly to get closer to Harry, but before he could, Harry turned to Liam and ordered him in an angered mess. 

“You’re in charge for the whole time I’m gone,” Harry stated loudly to the group of shocked individual men. “Now I’m leaving before I decided to kick Clyde’s face in. I’ll see you all in a week.”

With one short glance in Louis’ direction, he released his clenched jaw and stalked outside in a tense walk. Louis dragged his fingertips along the table as he moved to watch him disappear before the door slammed completely shut. 

“Damn,” one of the men broke through the silence as Louis stood in complete dismay. 

“Clyde has to be one hundred percent _insane_ to go against Harry like that. What the hell was he thinking? That he could just take on a _fucking pure Alpha Hell Hound_ who has way more experience under his belt?“

Louis turned around, completely oblivious of the shocked conversations and gossiping everyone was seemingly taking part in. 

“Where’s he going for a week?” Louis asked as he stepped forward, his question mostly directed at a silent Liam. 

Liam looked at Louis with hooded eyes as he dropped back into his seat. He rubbed his temples and sighed weakly. “He’s gonna be holed up in his house for a week for his rut. Which is great because not only is he gone, but Clyde is out in the wind angry as ever. He’s gonna take his anger out during the training with the warriors and when Harry comes back, he’s gonna be pissed.”

Louis watched Liam slump forward onto the table as he groaned in exasperation. So not only was Louis gonna have to go a full week without Harry, but he also had seven days of having to be on the lookout for a furious War General.

A War General that wanted him dead.

❍

One Week Later 

Niall quickly popped a fry into his mouth before he resumed with his story, making everyone around him cringe as he talked and chewed loudly. 

“So after I tell Alex _not_ to go talk to Mabel, what does he do? He goes and talks to her. I had to stand there for about ten minutes straight and watch as he got beat up by her boyfriend,” Niall huffed as he threw his head back to take a drink of his water. 

Louis poked his chicken with his finger as he listened to his friend. “Why didn’t you help him?”

Niall quickly spun in his seat to glare at the blue eyed man, his quick speed making both Louis, Liam, and Zayn flinch.

”You think I, a friggin’ Omega, will get in the middle of an Alpha fight? No!” Niall yelled, making the small amount of people around them aware of how noisy the blond was. 

Louis rolled his eyes as he stole a fry from Zayn’s plate. Zayn watched in disbelief as Louis popped it into his mouth, a small smile spreading across his face as he guiltily chewed it. 

“How dare you,” Zayn jokingly put his hand on his chest to show that he was hurt, but they both erupted into a quick fit of laughter. 

Liam watched the interaction in awe between his mate and friend as they shared a laugh. A few fries were thrown about between them, to which they were scavenged by Niall as soon as they landed. When Louis found his fries all gone, he opted on throwing a piece of his chicken until he was stopped by Liam.

”Okay Louis, please, not the chicken,” Liam held his hands up in surrender as he slightly chuckled. “I have to report everything that’s happened within the past week to Harry, and I’m sure he won’t be thrilled when he finds out that you were throwing chicken at people during lunch.” 

Louis perked at Harry’s name as soon as it left Liam’s name. He missed the green eyed man. His skin felt empty of his touches and chest abandoned of butterflies that he got whenever he was around him. He craved the Alphas intoxicating smell and his adorable dimples that popped whenever he smiled. It always sent his Omega into overdrive when he imagined that pearly white smile directed towards him.  

“Oh, I forgot to tell you guys something, but you all have to promise you won’t speak of it ever again,” Liam rolled his shoulders as he pushed his plate back away from him. “I’m only telling you because you’re my friends.”

”And mate,” Zayn quickly added.

Louis reached across the table to place his semi-empty plate on top of Liam’s empty one. When he fell back onto the stool, he swiped his hands to rid of any crumbs and licked them from the chicken grease. 

“Promise I won’t tell anyone, now tell,” Niall ushered him forward with his confession. 

Liam leaned forward so all three of them could hear his whispered admission. Louis followed his movement, which in turn made the other two friends do so as well. 

“You know Alice? The Hell Hound that came with Louis the first day he was here?” Liam turned to Niall, “You were scouting that day.”

Louis’ blood ran cold as Alice’s name broke through his friends lips. The memories of that night flooded back to him. The running, the blood, and you know, the part where he killed her and hid her body in a swamp. He remembered everything there was to remember. 

“Yeah, what about her?” Niall raised his eyebrow. 

“Some of the hunters found her body last night,” Liam stated, causing Zayn to choke on a piece of chicken. 

When he caught his breath, Zayn dropped his chicken and moved up closer to the small huddle. “Okay and what happened next?”

”Nothing,” Liam shrugged his shoulders.

Louis released a breath he was unaware he was holding. That was a good thing. They weren’t doing anything about her death, so there was no way they would find out he was the one to kill her, right? 

“Why aren’t you guys doing anything about it?” Louis was curious to find out the answer, not like he really cared for it, however.

If they weren’t going to go more in depth for an investigation, then he was perfectly fine with that idea.

”Because we’re all positive that she was killed by the Werewolf we sent to the gallows about a week ago. She was another victim of his, she was just discovered later. Her body was badly decomposed enough so it had to have happened weeks ago,” Liam told them in a hushed whisper as a group of women passed by their table. 

“Look, I don’t want word to roll around so please don’t tell anyone. If Harry has to learn about this from it spreading around and not from me directly, he will probably skin me alive,” Liam pleaded, his attention mostly directed at Niall. 

Liam didn’t have to worry about Zayn spilling any beans. They were mates, they trusted and cared for each other. There was no way Zayn would let it loose, especially if it meant putting Liam in danger. He also didn’t have to worry about Louis. He wanted nothing to do with Alice anymore; she was in a part of his past that he wanted to forget. Plus, he was good at hiding secrets if that counted, even though Liam was unaware of that fact about his friend.

But Niall on the other hand was a whole different story. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut for the life of him and he was very loud, even at times he didn’t mean to be. 

“They won’t tell anyone babe, not unless they wanna die by my hands,” Zayn jokingly threatened as he looked between both Niall and Louis. 

Louis put his hands up in a surrendering position, a grin cracking along his lips as he did so. “Your secrets safe with me, my friends.”

”Good,” Zayn smiled. 

“But,” Louis quickly added to gain their attention, “only if I’m allowed to go on my first hunt today.”

Zayn and Liam shared a quick look between each other before Liam smiled a large, slightly crooked grin that spread from ear to ear. 

“Deal. But only if you can keep up.”

❍

It wasn’t like Louis wanted to catch up. 

This was his first hunt. And if he recalled, he currently had a piece of paper hidden in his pillowcase that stated exactly what he had in mind for this exact situation. 

Step one, get purposefully lost. Step two, find Mr. Gilborn. Step three, warn the man. Step four, go back to hunting like nothing happened. 

But Louis didn’t make any plan B’s when it came to finding Mr. Gilborn. He expected it to run smoothly and quick, yet that was the _last_ thing that was currently happening in that moment. He was able to separate himself from the hunting group, but he wasn’t able to get rid of Brandy. Just because Louis had talked to him once at the kitchen meant that they were now friends—as Brandy put it. 

“So this is your first hunt?” Brandy asked as he followed behind Louis. 

Louis dropped his head and sighed at the question that he was asked about three times already. He was trying to keep himself from exploding at the dude and bit harshly on his tongue. 

“Yup, for the third time today,” Louis groaned.

He kept his bow close to the ground as he bent down to pass underneath a fallen tree. Brandy followed suit, his mouth still moving and voice scaring away any potential critters nearby for Louis to kill. Louis was walking stealthy, making sure to step carefully and keep his voice low, but Brandy was on the other spectrum of noise. He was stepping on every possible leaf he could and talked loudly—almost as loud as Niall. 

“I’ve wanted to ask you something,” Brandy was quick to hurry up to Louis. 

“What’s stopping you from asking? Because you don’t seem to be holding any back,” Louis hinted, but it completely went over his head. 

“Well I felt like it was a personal question,” Brandy continued. “There were rumors going around the pack that you and Clyde got into a fight?”

Louis squinted his eyes and stopped in his tracks quickly. Brandy clumsily ran into the back of him from how close he was, making him stumble backwards while mumbling his apologies. Louis turned around sharply.

”No,” Louis shook his head harshly. 

“So he didn’t beat you?” 

Louis whined in bother as he threw his head back and pivoted in his spot. “No! Who told you this?”

Brandy shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t remember. I just heard it because I was eavesdropping on a conversation.”

”Oh, how _great_ ,” Louis groaned as he pushed himself back into a quick walk. 

“But I just wanted to know if it was true or not because I remember talking to you at the kitchen about how much we hated Clyde, and I was hoping that it was true. Or well, the part where you fought, not the part where he apparently beat the crap out of you,” Brandy was pushing Louis over the edge with every word. 

“Hey Lo-“

”Stop!” Louis spun around and yelled in frustration. “I’m trying to hunt but I can’t if you’re going to be talking about something I really don’t wanna think about right now. So please, I'm asking you to stop!” 

Brandy paused before he brought his hands up to his stomach to grab at the fabric of his white shirt. He looked down ashamedly and took a step back before nodding respectfully to Louis' request. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Brandy apologized quietly. 

Now Louis felt bad for his small explosion. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he took a step forward. Brandy looked up to face the Omega, his eyes drifting from Louis’ to behind him.

“Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you, but yo-“ Louis was cut off. 

“Louis behind you!” Brandy pointed as he yelled, to which startled Louis. 

However, the Omega was quick in his tactics. It took a fraction of a second for him to retrieve an arrow and retract it on the string of the bow, along with spinning around to face what lay behind him. 

What he was meet with was someone he thought he’d never see again. 

 _Sasha_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have homework for y’all: write down what you predict for this story. Or what you think might happen. 
> 
> Fun Fact: The fight scene wasn’t originally planned. I was writing and it flowed like that, so I hope you liked the extra spice I added.


	16. What's Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited for you guys to read the chapter where everyone finds out who Louis is actually is. Just gotta get through the slow burn!
> 
> Also RIP to this chapters editing. It's currently 1:30 in the morning as I'm posting this, so if I missed something, I'm blaming it on me being tired.

"Sasha?" Louis lowered his bow just enough to see her clearly. 

She tilted her head to the side to look at him and glanced his body up and down confusingly. Uncertainly was written all over her face as she stumbled forwards a few steps and then back, her balance unsteady and noticeable. Louis took a few steps backwards to keep a longer, secured distance in between them. 

Sasha's black hair that use to be long and straight was now a messy mop on top of her head. It stuck out in weird angles and held many large tangles that he could see from where he stood a few feet away. Her freckled face was covered in smeared mud and her black clothing was torn in too many clothes to count. When Louis looked her over once and back at her dark green gaze, he raised the bow up just in case she were to lunge. 

When Sasha took a step forward, Louis raised the bow all the way and drew it back in a warning. 

"Please don't," Sasha's voice was low and raspy as she pleaded. "I just want to go back home."

Louis turned his head to share a knowing look with Brandy, who was now standing besides Louis while watching the girl. 

"Please take me home. I want to see Harry," Sasha pleaded as she stepped even closer.

Louis took a step back while motioning for Brandy to follow in his actions. "We can't."

"And why not?"

"Because you were thrown out. Harry doesn't want you," Brandy answered truthfully. "We can't just take you back because if we did, we'd be thrown out too."

Sasha began shaking her head as she grabbed a clump of her ratted hair. "No no no, you're lying. Harry just made a mistake. He just needs to see me so we can talk it out and he'll take me back. You have to take me back there, please!"

Brandy tapped at Louis' shoulder to get his attention. "We should leave. If she follows us then she'll be stopped at the border."

Brandy looked Sasha up and down once more before he turned away from them. Sasha watched him stalk away before she glared at Louis. She began to square her shoulders and lifted her head, her eyes squinting at Louis in a moment of thought. 

"Kill me," Sasha bluntly stated.

Louis scrunched his face in confusion at such a request. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," she took a step forward, causing Louis to take one back. "Kill me!"

Louis drew his arrow back in a second warning, his eyes wide and attention alert on the girl in front of him. She was like a wild animal, her teeth and claws bearing to strike Louis any time he'd let his guard down. 

"Louis! Don't!" Brandy was next to Louis again. He placed his hand on the Omegas shoulder and urged him back, but Louis didn't budge. 

Sasha took a step forward once again, her eyes taunting and smile growing larger at every passing second. Louis was sure she was absolutely crazy.

"Do it Louis, put an arrow right between my eyes," Sasha pointed harshly at the spot between her eyebrows with her thumb. 

Brandy began to usher the bow down from Louis' grip and placed an arm around his chest to push him backwards. Louis didn't show any signs of resisting when he was urged away, he didn't want to be in this situation. He didn't want to kill anymore--unless it came to Clyde. 

Louis withdrew the arrow and let the bow hang loosely at his side. His expression hardened as he turned around and made his way from the rogue, the smile falling from her face as soon as he turned his back to her. Brandy easily followed suit and jogged to keep up close behind Louis. His footsteps grew closer and his breathing was quickened from the situation, making everything else around them harder to hear.

But Louis could hear the extra set of footsteps coming up behind them both in a quick pace. His heart beat quickened and every instinct of his told him to react fast. 

Brandy was close behind him when Louis turned around with an arrow retracted in the string of his bow. He released it, causing Brandy to flinch at the proximity of the arrow flying just inches by his side. 

"Louis!" Brandy roared as he looked at the Omega with wide eyes. 

When Louis didn't look at him and instead kept his gaze on something behind him, Brandy twirled around so quickly that he had almost lost his balance, his feet stumbling in the fallen leaves and uprooted tree roots. When he laid his eyes on what it was, he continued to take a few steps backwards.

Sasha was standing just a few feet behind him, almost inches away as she stood frozen. She had her right arm drawn upwards with a knife--that had hidden within her waistband--wrapped in her hovering hand. However, the knife had slowly slipped from her grasp as she released her tight grip on the weapon. She looked down at her stomach, causing Brandy to do the same, before she let out a whine of pain.

An arrow had pierced through her shirt and into her stomach, causing her black shirt to become darker from the blood seeping around the newly created wound. Her hands wrapped around the arrow, but when she pulled, she fell to her knees in agony and screamed out. 

Brandy watched in shock as his hand was covering his agape mouth. Louis on the other hand, he stormed forward and grabbed the stuck arrow without any second thoughts. Despite the pained screams and Sasha's pleading to stop, Louis yanked with all the power he had to eject the arrow from her abdomen. 

He placed the bloody arrow back in the case he had strapped along his back and ignored Sasha as she fell backwards in pain. Her hands were covering the wound to stop the bleeding and her face was scrunched up in pure pain. Brandy watched as Louis stalked pass him, his face emotionless and body tense.

It took Brandy a few seconds to comprehend the situation before he decided to act. 

"Louis, why did yo-" Brandy turned to confront Louis, but he was instead meet with a soft breeze.

There was no Louis.

❍

Louis was angry at not just himself, but _everything_. 

Every leaf that fell, every whisper in the wind, every squirrel that passed by him just made him realize how beautiful life was. But it also reminded him of how much pain he held inside that clouded his vision to experience such a beauty. 

When Louis shot the arrow at Sasha, he felt the rage build up inside of him within a fraction of a second. He wanted to take it out on something, anything, but he opted on trying to keep his anger in. He knew it wasn't a healthy thing to do, his mother always warned him that it wasn't good to hold in his emotions, yet he wanted to boil the anger up. He needed it for when he was to face Clyde. 

 _If_ he was to face Clyde, which he knew deep down he would sometime in the future.

On the other hand, when Louis found himself stalking off alone and leaving Brandy to Sasha, he expected that he'd run off into the woods. Possibly to go find Mr. Gilborn like what was planned originally. 

What he didn't expect, however, was that he would instinctively find himself pacing in front of Harry's house. His inner Omega wanted to find comfort in the storm that was brewing inside of him, so he listened to it. He let his emotions guide him. 

He let his heart guide him. 

Louis chewed on his lip as he fought back the hot tears threatening to explode. He closed his eyes and tugged at the sides of his shirt, staining the fabric with Sasha's blood that had come off the arrow. The feeling of guilt and shame clouded his features as he walked back and forth in front of Harry's house, his senses completely lost to the world as he swallowed his emotions. He wanted to scream out loud for the heavens to hear, to yell out to the angels or whoever was listening.

"Louis?"

He instantly stopped in his tracks as the color drained completely from his face. He recognized that voice. He hadn't heard it in a week. 

Louis slowly turned to look at Harry. Wasn’t he supposed to be in his rut? Or had it finished?

"Harry?"

Harry stood tall and intimidating in his doorway with just black pants dressing his lower half. He wasn't wearing a shirt of any sort--he never seems to be wearing one--and his hair was spiked upwards into a mess, almost like he had just woken up from a long hibernation. His eyes scanned Louis, only for them to stop at the blood that was dressing his hands and shirt. 

His expression shifted from curious to worry as he looked back up to connect with Louis' gaze. There were no words spoken between them as Harry moved in his doorway and motioned for Louis to come in. Louis gladly obeyed within a seconds time and quickly brushed by Harry to enter inside. He heard the creaking of the door behind him, signaling that Harry had closed it, as he stopped just a few feet from the Alpha. 

Before Louis could even take in the features of Harry’s house or say a word as to why he was here, Harry was in front of him in a heartbeat. He grabbed Louis’ wrists gently and pulled them in between their bodies to get a better look at the blood that littered his hands. Louis opened his mouth to say something, but Harry stopped him with a sudden, soft push backwards. It wasn’t hard enough to make him stumble, but just enough to make him take a balanced step back, and then another one. And another one...and another until his butt hit the edge of the marble table top in the kitchen. 

Harry placed his palm on the back of Louis’ thigh and lifted it up as he pushed him back against the table. Louis’ breath hitched in his throat but fell short when Harry quickly turned and stalked away in a short, dark hallway just feet away from them. 

Louis was left in a mix of trying to catch his breath and shaking himself off from the butterflies in his stomach. He was confused on whether he should stay sitting there or not, for Harry hadn’t said anything the whole time since he’s walked inside. And now he disappeared into a mystery part of his own house, leaving Louis to wallow in confusion. 

As Louis waited for Harry to reappear, he silently surveyed the house to take in the beautiful details.

The walls were wood like those of a log cabin, but they were stained to a light tan color, making the room appear way larger than it originally was. The floor was a marbled white and black masterpiece, complimenting the lighter walls and making the marbled black of the floor stand out against the rest. The counter tops of the kitchen were also a marbled black and the cabinets were a pure, clean white. The kitchen was in a large L shape with an island--which Louis was currently sitting on--in the middle. 

To the right of him were two large lightly colored pillars of wood, and beyond that was the living room. There were two black couches pushed together to sit in an L shape as well. A large black rug sat between them like the kitchen island had, and in front of that sat a large black stone fireplace that was bare of any living fire.

On the wall behind him sat two black wooden doors that were closed to conceal another room. Diagonally across from him was the long hallway that Harry had disappeared in, the only thing visible from where he sat was another black door that was closed. 

When there was nothing else to catch his attention, Louis looked down at his bloodied hands before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the wet blood soak into the creases of his palms as he sat silently perched on the table. 

However, the feeling was soon taken over as he felt someone gently grab his wrist and drag something soft over his open palms. He opened his eyes to come face to face with Harry. He was currently looking down at Louis’ hands to wipe them clean of any blood, giving Louis a perfect chance to survey the Alphas features as he gave his attention elsewhere. 

Something that Louis hadn’t noticed before was how long Harry’s eyelashes were. They lightly fanned over his cheeks as he blinked, and his lips were a darker pink than he originally thought. His cheekbones were high and his jaw was sharp as ice, giving him a good bone structure that Louis was secretly jealous of. His hair was up in a large messy quiff, the strands looking soft and welcoming for Louis to run his hands through.

But once again, Louis never found the courage to reach out and touch him. 

“So,” Louis looked down at his hands. “Uhm, how was your...rut?” 

“Fine,” Harry quickly stated. 

Louis puckered his lips and shook his head. “Great. That’s great.” 

Harry didn’t respond back. He was silent and focused on cleaning the blood from Louis’ hands. When he finished and placed the bloodied rag on the counter behind them, Harry rested his palms against the counter on each side of Louis’ legs to trap him, making the Omega pull back farther to keep from breaking apart under the closeness.

”Is she dead?” Harry asked, referring to Sasha. Louis guessed he figured from the smell of the blood.

”No,” Louis fiddled with his fingers as he spoke quietly under his breath. He kept from any eye contact. “I don’t think I could ever bring myself to kill someone.”

”I think you could,” Harry retaliated quick enough. “I know you have.” 

The color slightly drained from Louis’ face as he looked up. “What?”

Harry pushed himself off the table and grabbed the bloody rag before he brought himself to answer. Louis watched him make his way around the kitchen to drop the rag into a wooden bin. 

“You wanna know what my father told me before he died, Louis?” Harry didn’t wait for him to answer. “He told me that we find ourselves growing comfortable in the people who are just like us. People who we see our self in.”

Louis was still and silent as he listened from across the kitchen. He held in his breath and tried his best not to break under Harry’s piercing gaze. 

“You’re the only person that I can wholeheartedly say that I feel comfortable around. Last week when we were talking I could see a certain look in your eyes—a familiar one. I saw it when I told you about how I had to hide who I truly was in order to be a leader. I know that look, and I know you aren’t actually who you say you are.”

Louis was frozen to his spot on the counter. Was this the part where he was to confess? Louis opened his mouth to push the words out, but Harry interrupted him before even a peep could be spoken. 

“But I also know that you’re brave and selfless and caring. You stood up to Clyde when no one else would and that’s what people look for in a leader. Is strength and compassion to stand up for something,” Harry paused to let the words sink in. 

Louis blinked and swallowed loudly. “Harry, what are you trying to say?” 

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stood up straight. “I want you to help me.”

”Help you with what?”

”I want you to help me lead. But before you say yes or no, I want you to know one thing,” Harry pointed out. Louis’ silence was que for him to continue. “If you choose to say yes, you have to move in with me.” 

Louis pressed his lips together in thought. He could help _lead_. Harry and Louis. Louis and Harry. He liked the way that sounded.

”So what is it? Yes or no?” Harry questioned.

Louis looked at him and smiled a soft, genuine grin. 

“Hell yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Predict what chapter you think Harry will find out about Louis; remember, there's 56 chapters and this is chapter 16. Which means you have to predict a number between 17 and 56. 
> 
> What do you guys like best about this story?


	17. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like this chapter was kinda bad, but that's me with every chapter. Oh Lord. Something about writers hating their own writing is a mood for me all the time, I don't understand how you guys like it. XD Same with the editing. This is a one man show and I don't have a Beta, so I'm kinda just winging it. ;)
> 
> Also I have developed a cold. It's all sunshine and rainbows when you have a stack of tissues and cough drops sitting right next to you as you're writing. It kinda makes me just wanna write one shots of Louis being sick and Harry caring for him, but I ain't got nO TIME FOR THAT WHEN I HAVE THIS STORY.
> 
> Anyways for all of you who really want Louis to tell Harry or for Harry to find out already, I'm sorry for dragging you through a process known as slow burn. It kinda upsets me that I also have to wait to write it, I just wanna write it RIGHT NOW. But I swear, the wait will be worth it. I have plot twists up my sleeves. :)

Louis didn't even have any time to step out of the kitchen before he was bombarded by a loud blond with blue eyes. He flinched instinctively but kept himself from striking his own friend. 

"Niall chill," Louis urged his friend to calm down from his random rush. 

"I can't Louis, you don't understand what just happened to me," Niall explained before he pushed Louis over to a silent spot near the edge of the trail. He leaned forward and waved Louis to do the same. "So I meet someone and I really, _really_ like him, but I need to talk to you about something."

Louis raised his eyebrow and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Look, if it's relationship advice or something, I can't help you there. Hell, I can't even get my own crap together."

Louis was far from being referred to as a romantic. With living most of his life in secrecy and constantly running from others, he didn't exactly have time to date people, let alone meet someone his own age.

"No, it's not really relationship advice. It's more like you doing me a favor that I'd forever be in debt to you," Niall clapped his hands together and stuck his bottom lip out into a pout. Of course, he was going to guilt trip Louis. "Please, I'm begging you. Just this once. I won't ever ask you again."

Louis rested his hands on his hips and held his chin up high as if it was his way of saying that he wasn't going to fall for Niall's puppy eyes. He tilted his head and looked unamused at his friend, waiting for the blond to just come out with what he wanted. 

"I'm not gonna answer your question or do any favors if you won't go into any details," Louis urged him forward, but all he got in return was his friend roughly grabbing him by the arm and pulling him along like a dog on a leash. 

For being an Omega, Niall had a lot of vigor behind his hold. He dragged Louis behind him by his forearm, causing people to stop and stare as they passed by hurriedly. Louis could only imagine what people were currently thinking; a Hell Hound Alpha--who wasn't really one at all--was quickly and clumsily being dragged away by a Hell Hound Omega.

And for what exactly? Louis hadn't a clue.

"Okay, _okay,_ Niall I need my arm back," Louis felt Niall tug at his arm before stopping them both in front of an old log cabin, it's details looking identical to the ones all around them. 

Niall dropped his arm and twirled around to stare Louis down, his finger pointing at the small cabin in front of them. "This is my house and the guy I like is inside right now. I need you to talk to him but I can't be in there with you guys because I have a scout meeting in about five minutes, so he'll ask you the favor."

Niall pushed Louis forward before he could get in a word, but Louis came stepping back with a deadpanned look. "I never gave you a yes or no to whether I accept this favor."

"But you also don't know what it is and I'm not gonna tell you," Niall retaliated.

"Oh for crying out loud Niall!" Louis raised his hands in the air before dropping them back down. "You're confusing!"

He was sure that the other person inside the cabin was now aware of their presence from how loud he yelled, but he didn't care for it. He just wanted to know what he was being dragged into.

"Please Louis!"

"Fine! But you owe me big time, no matter how big or small this favor is," Louis grumbled before stepping forward and rolling his eyes.

He silently cursed under his breath as he stopped in front of the door with his fist raised to knock. He paused, however, and looked back at Niall with a brooding look. 

"Walk in, it's my house," Niall advised him, to which Louis attempted to shoo him away by a small flick of his hand. 

Louis turned to face the door for a second time, but he quickly turned around once more to point at a retreating Niall who was stalking backwards, his eyes trained completely on Louis and not watching what was going on behind him. 

"If I have to do something embarrassing, I'm kicking your ass."

"I love you Louis."

"Go away."

Louis heard Niall chuckle as he turned back around to face the door for the third time. He placed his hand on the knob and took a deep breath through his nose before opening the door cautiously. The creaking of the hinges was loud enough to be an alarm to whoever was residing in the house, and once Louis poked his head in, and then half of his body, a man had rounded the corner and paused to watch Louis awkwardly make his way in.

"You're not Niall?" the man sounded alarmed, yet curious, as he pointed at him. 

Louis faked a welcoming smile and closed the door behind him. "Uh, no. I'm Louis Tomlinson. I'm his friend."

"Oh my god," the man began to look everywhere in a panic, which in return almost startled Louis. "Oh, I almost forgot my manners. I'm Meesha Lee."

Louis stood confused and frozen in his spot by the door. He wasn't sure if he should attempt a hand shake or leave from the way Meesha had panicked, but he bit his lip and stayed calm for Niall's sake. 

"You know, I've heard a lot about you," Meesha stepped closer as he motioned to an old couch just feet away from them. "Care to sit?"

When Louis shook his head, Meesha took a seat as farthest from the middle cushion to give Louis room, almost as if he was scared that he'd make the Omega flee. Louis, on the other hand, had took the seat at the opposite end of the couch, his hand rubbing at his other arm nervously.

"Really? What have you heard?" Louis asked curiously to get the conversation back on track and rolling. 

"That you have a good connection with Leader Styles," Meesha pointed out as he played with a ring on his finger. "Everyone thinks you're a great influence on him... and since you're basically the closest person to him, I wanted to ask you a somewhat personal question."

Louis rubbed at his chin as he nodded his head for the man to continue, however, Meesha seemed to be pale in the face about the situation.

"Go on. I don't bite."

Meesha pressed his lips together in a firm line as he leaned forward. He seemed to hesitate at first, but when Louis sent a comforting smile, he relaxed.

"Look, ever since I was little I've always wanted to be a hunter. I dreamed of it almost every night when I was kid. And when I meet Niall, he said that he had close connections to the Leader and that he could help me achieve that dream of mine. So I was wondering...on whether you could throw in a good word for me to Styles," Meesha scratched the back of his neck while discerning any look from the Omega across from him. 

Louis squinted at Meesha and gripped tightly at the old fabric of the couch. He tilted his head and found himself becoming instinctively protective over his blond haired friend. 

"You aren't using Niall for this, are you?" Louis asked, to which Meesha shook his head as soon as the question came tumbling out of his mouth. 

"No, no, no. I may have worded myself wrong. But it was actually Niall's idea to have me talk to you so you could convince Styles to make me a hunter," Meesha leaned back against the couch as he watched Louis intently to make sure he hadn't said anything wrong. 

"Okay, but why can't you guys just talk to Liam? He's the Hunting Leader," Louis pointed out curiously. 

Meesha shook his head, the small blond curls of his falling in front of his brown eyes. "Because I've asked before. Liam said that he didn't see any potential in me, so I couldn't even go through with training. But if Styles can just see what I got, he could easily get me in. He's the Leader, he can appoint anyone to any position with no questions asked."

Louis listened and thought about it. He scrunched up his eyebrows and fell back into the arm rest of the couch. 

"So you want me to talk to him about you being a hunter?" Louis raised his eyebrow. 

Meesha shook his head yes. He guessed that if this was the favor, then it seemed pretty easy. Meesha leaned forward with hopeful eyes.

"Will you?"

Louis searched his gaze before huffing in defeat. "I will, but if I find out that you have any ill-intentions and use Niall for this, I will have Harry wipe you completely off the list of ever becoming a hunter. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, of course! You have my word Louis," Meesha smiled and laughed as he stood up excitedly. 

Louis stood up as well and snapped his fingers to get the Alpha's attention once more. "Before I talk to Harry, I want you to know that there's a domino effect in place here. If you use or hurt any of my friends, which Niall is a good one, then you hurt me too. And if you hurt me, then that's enough to provoke Harry and he _will_ get involved. So are you sure you want me to do this?"

Meesha was silent for a moment before he shook his head. "Promise."

❍

The double doors that were closed inside of Harry's house were now open and welcoming for Louis to enter. The room was large and spacious, almost as big as the living room and kitchen combined. Bookshelves lined all the walls so there were no room for windows, leaving the only light being from too many candles sitting around on the shelves. A large desk was to the right of the doors, and to the left were two burgundy plush chairs with a small table in between. 

There wasn't a lot of furniture in the office, yet Harry never really had more than three people in there once at a time. 

When Louis first entered into the study, a familiar smell hit him--one that he absolutely hated with a strong passion. Then his blue eyes landed on a figure standing over the front of desk, his fingers tracing a large map on Harry's desk as Harry sat in the chair behind it. By the way his shoulders slouched and the way he stood, Louis recognized the figure as Clyde. 

And as soon as Louis found his way to a chair across the room and silently sat in it, he watched as Clyde lifted his head to smell the air before turning around to face Louis. The blue eyed Omega had one leg over the other and tauntingly smiled at the Alpha's state of sudden vexation.

"Louis, this is strictly pack business, I suggest you _leave,_ " Clyde warned aggressively under his breath. 

So he guessed Clyde _didn't_ get the memo that Louis was now one of the co-leaders of the pack. But of course, the news was just between Louis and Harry until arrangements were made, so he shooed it off and kept himself sitting in place, which just seemed to worsen the General's mood even more.

Harry stood up and coughed into his elbow to get both of their attention. When Clyde turned to his leader after sending a hateful glare towards Louis, Harry motioned to the door and placed his hand on the General's shoulder to give him a slight push. 

"You can't be serious?" Clyde's voice was higher in pitch as he was shoved to the door. 

"I'm afraid I'm one hundred percent serious," Harry stated as he stopped at the open doors. "Louis and I have private stuff to talk about. Now make your way out of my house."

And with that, Harry closed the doors in Clyde's face. He quickly locked the doors before busting out into a small laughter with Louis, their eyes shinning but smiles small. When Harry calmed down from his snickering and sat back down in his seat behind his desk, he looked at Louis and patted the desk as a signal for Louis to come closer. 

"I got something to talk to you about," Harry stated as Louis picked himself up from his seat.

"And I you," Louis stalked towards the desk before stopping in front of it. "But I'd rather hear your news first."

Harry nodded in understanding before looking down at his desk, Louis' gaze following suit.

He pointed at the map in front of them as he leaned back into his seat, his face holding an ecstatic look. Louis eyed the long piece of paper and took in all the details that littered it. There were drawn keys around the map of mountains and trees, along with bodies of water and a long winding river that split down the middle. Louis dragged his finger over the outline of the river as images of him and Sam splashing through the water filled his mind. However, Harry quickly pulled him back to reality as he leaned forward to rest against the desk. 

"This is the map of our land and the Werewolves land. Over here," Harry pointed to the right side of the map, "Is where Leader Jules resides. He's a Pure Alpha and he conquers the largest plot of land that belongs to any other Werewolf pack."

Louis crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed at his chin, he looked between Harry and the map. "Okay, so what about it?"

"We're going to plan an ambush for the West side of his land. However, we aren't going to take anything, we just want to kill," Harry looked up at Louis before quickly jumping to point something out, realization flashing through his eyes at Louis' questioning gaze. "A few months ago, before you were here, Leader Jules kept ambushing us for our food supply. We haven't hit back because we wanted to trick him into thinking we were neutral based. But really, we believe time is essential in planning out our strikes. He wants our food, we just want to kill his people to send a message across."

Louis was dumbfounded at Harry's announcement. His mouth was agape and he looked off elsewhere. His cheeks were beginning to burn hot as he dropped his arms, but Harry didn't give him any extra time to build his anger or speak up about it.

"Louis, I can sense that you're growing angry, but you need to think with your mind this time. Leader Jules has captured my people and tortured and killed them on his own land, and he needs to learn that the Hell Hounds aren't going to accept that," Harry stood up and slammed his hands on the table, but not hard enough to make Louis flinch. 

Louis took a step back as he wiped at his sweaty brows. "I don't know Harry. He may have took innocent people here, but that doesn't mean that it's okay to kill even _more_ innocent people."

Harry licked his teeth before he dropped his head and pushed back his chair slightly. He made his way slowly around his desk to stand in front of Louis, their gazes never disconnecting under a strict stare down. Harry reached his hand up to slowly brush his fingertips over Louis' cheekbones, the touch spreading warmth through his face and making him lean slightly unnoticeable into the touch. 

"That's why we're attacking the West part of his land, Louis. That's where his soldiers live, not just innocent people. Take out the warriors and you got nothing to work with, right?" Harry smiled as he slowly dragged his fingers up to Louis' temple and traced downwards to the outline of his jaw.

The touch sent sparks of heat through Louis as Harry's gaze slowly followed the trail of where his finger traveled. 

"Right," Louis' voice was soft and gentle as he focused on the brushes of the Alpha's fingertips. 

Harry smiled his iconic smirk, one that made Louis want to melt to his knees in pure submission. Harry tilted his head as his fingers began to route themselves down his neck, only to stop to lightly rest over a place where a bond mark should be. Of course, Louis' neck was bare, just like Harry's was. 

"I can feel your heart racing. Tell me, do I make you nervous?" Harry finally lifted his eyes to stare into Louis' beautiful blue ones. 

Louis took a few seconds to gather the courage to speak. "I plead the fifth."

Harry let out a loud laugh at the response before he dropped his hand and fell backwards to sit on top of his desk. "I want you to come with me during the ambush."

And just like that, the moment was over. Louis didn't want it to end.

"I expect to. You aren't leaving without me," Louis pointed out before a smile painted itself on his own face. 

"I wouldn't want to," Harry added before leaning forward to cross his arms. "Now it's your turn to tell me your news."

Louis was so clouded with his awe for Harry and the thoughts of the ambush that he almost forgot about his own news. He lifted a finger up as if he remembered, making Harry chuckle once again. Louis liked to hear his laugh. 

"Right," Louis turned around to walk over to the chair at the opposite side of the room. "I met a guy today."

Harry tensed up and straightened his posture as he squared his shoulders. He squinted his eyes and watched as Louis plopped down into the chair. 

"Who?" Harry had to force his voice to remain normal, the jealousy slowly boiling under his skin as he waited for an answer.

"His name is Meesha Lee," Louis dusted his pants off, completely oblivious to the envy that Harry was currently holding. "Apparently he and Niall are a thing?"

Harry relaxed at the given answer and threw his head back to take a deep breath to swallow his emotions. Louis watched him, his finger tracing over his bottom lip as he surveyed the emptiness of Harry's neck. He could imagine himself biting the patch of skin, leaving his mark for Harry to show around wherever he went. His mouth began to water as he stared with impure thoughts running through his mind. When Harry lowered his head, Louis quickly dropped his hand and looked elsewhere. 

"I talked to Meesha because he needed me to do a favor, so here I am," Louis put his arm out like he was holding an invisible tray. "Doing him a favor because Niall begged me to."

Harry licked his lips as he made his way across the room to sit in the chair next to Louis. "I'm guessing since you're here, then this involves me then, yeah?"

"Kinda, yes. Meesha needs some type of approval from you so he can be a hunter," Louis rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "I asked him why he couldn't just ask Liam, but Liam said that he didn't see potential in him."

"So he wants me to go against Liam's word and say yes?" Harry frowned at the suggestion.

"When you put it like that, I guess so."

Harry shook his head and scoffed lowly. "I can't just do that."

"Then what do I do? Go back and say no?" Louis inquired with a raised eyebrow. 

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he dragged his thumb across his own jaw. "I mean, I could see what he's got and I'll make a decision then. But I can't just say yes or no to him, especially after Liam said no. Liam's good at his job and I don't want to go against his choices." 

A few quiet seconds passed before Louis shook his head in agreement. He respected Liam's decision and knew he made choices for the best. He wasn't about to push Harry to do something he felt uncomfortable with--that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

"So what are you gonna do?"

There was silence from both ends as Harry took time to think.

"I guess I'll give him a shot. We'll meet together tomorrow and I'll have him shoot some things to see how good he is," Harry suggested as he rubbed at his forehead and bounced his leg up and down, his gaze directed at the red rug as he bit his bottom lip.

Louis pushed himself to the edge of the chair. "Can I come?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders once more. "I don't care. Just don't expect me to go easy on him."

"Deal," Louis stood up from his chair and brushed his shirt off before he stopped to bring up one more thing. "Hey, Harry?"

Harry looked at him with his eyebrows raised, their stare getting even more intense every time their gazes connected. 

"I want you to know something," Louis breathed in deeply, causing his shoulders to rise, and entangled his fingers together in front of him. "I'm sure you're aware of this, but I have a problem with Clyde. I'm not gonna ask too much since I just asked you for a favor, but I want you to talk to him or something. He's getting on my nerves and I can't help you lead if I constantly have to worry about him being at my throat all the time."

Harry lowered his head down in understanding before grabbing an empty cup on the table next to him. "I'm aware and I'll talk to him."

"Thank you," Louis smiled.

Harry responded with a smile as well. "Of course. Thank you for coming to me with this."

"Always," Louis put his hand up to his head and pushed it out as his way of saying farewell.

Harry watched as Louis twirled in his spot and left the room with a wide grin on his face. He glared at the back of the Omegas neck, his thumb running over his bottom lip as his mouth began to water. 

Harry didn't really ever feel the need to claim things, but when it came to Louis, he just couldn't help but _crave_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shall I give you more homework? Hm...
> 
> Question: What moment do you think is the cutest between Louis and Harry?
> 
> BTW, lots and lots and lots of fluff (and possibly possessiveness) in next chapter. ;)


	18. To Become A Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through writing this I decided that I hated the concept of this chapter for some odd reason--RIP editing and just writing in general. So my apologies. There also wasn't as much protective!Harry in this as I original wanted to write, but it's okay because we still have to get through 56 chapters. So we have all the opportunities to throw that in. ;)
> 
> Also, my favorite show comes back on tonight and I wanted to get this chapter up for you guys before it started, so I apologize if the chapter seems like it was hurried (which it kinda was, which I'll probably end up going back later tonight to fix it.) I just know that I find myself not liking this chapter, so if you do end up liking it, then yay! Bless your soul.
> 
> Okay, so this is important for anyone it concerns:I recently read a story and the author put it in their notes that they didn’t want people to translate their work. And I’ve been thinking. If anyone ever wants to translate this story, you’re always welcome to as long as you tell me so I’m aware (and at least give credit to me as the author.) I think that anyone should be willing to read any story, no matter the language it’s written in. People will most likely enjoy it, right? But yeah, I just wanted to point that out to anyone in the future who is looking to translate this story (if there ever is, lmao.)

Louis was having trouble with putting his chest pad piece on. He hadn’t worn it the first time he was out on his only hunt and neither had anyone else for that matter, but when he stormed into the Hunting House to retrieve his bow and arrow, Harry quickly stopped him from walking back out. 

“I think you’re forgetting something,” Harry stated before he blocked Louis from the exit. 

Louis stopped abruptly, his chest almost hitting Harry's, and looked around the room with a quizzical stare. He didn’t see anything that he missed, so he wasn't sure as to why exactly he was being prevented from leaving?

Louis sounded confused as he looked down at his bow and his case of arrows. ”What do you mean? I’m not missing anything?”

“What did you take with you on your first hunt?” Harry inquired as he lifted one of his eyebrow's and crossed his arms over his chest. Louis felt like he was being interrogated by the Alpha.

He squinted his eyes at Harry before blinking blankly. “Uh, this?” he lifted his weapons.

Harry stared blankly back. “Wait, seriously? Nothing else?”

Louis steadily shook his head. “I’ve only been on one hunt and this is all I’ve taken with me. Is there something I’m actually missing or are you just messing with me?”

Harry didn't answer as he moved around Louis and stalked over to a corner of the room. Louis watched him in wonder as he retrieved something from a bin, and when the Alpha held up what looked like a chest pad, Louis felt perplexed at what it was. 

The chest piece was a rough leather guard in the shape of an X that extended over the shoulders and under the ribs. In the middle were two pockets for small throwing knives, and on the back of the chest piece was a small clip that kept any additional arrow cases in place. 

"You're suppose to be wearing chest pieces," Harry stated before making his way over to Louis. "Put the bow and arrows down."

Louis did as followed without question. When he stood back up to come face to face with Harry, the Alpha threw his hands up over Louis and brought the pad down carefully over his head. Louis felt weird with it on, like he had unneeded extra weights put over his chest to weigh him down. He deemed them unnecessary.

"How does it feel?" Harry asked before flicking his hands up in a motion to get Louis to lift his arms.

Louis brought his arms up and turned to watch as Harry guided his hands to two leather strings at his side. He began to quickly tie them.

"It kinda feels like I'm being hugged," Louis said truthfully.

Harry chuckled at Louis' answer as he finished tying the first side and then moved to the other. Louis dropped one of his arms and watched as Harry double knotted the second lace under his ribs. When he was done, Meesha had walked up to the entrance of the Hunting House as if on cue.

He stood awkwardly in the door way, his hands tangled in front of him and smile quivering from trying to hold in his emotions--which Louis guessed was mostly made of fear and worry from messing up. Louis could see him visibility shaking, and once Harry turned around to give him a knowingly glance that lasted only a second, his smile faltered and he gulped loud enough for Louis' ears to pick up on. 

"Meesha, right?" Harry asked as he grabbed another chest pad from the bin.

"Yes, sir," Meesha nodded his head. 

"Great. Put this on and sit down," Harry quickly threw the chest piece at Meesha before motioning to the table. "We need to have a chat first."

Louis smiled at Meesha kindly, his intentions to calm the blond man as he slowly took a step forward to enter into the house. Meesha looked down at his gear with wide eyes, his expression dressed in confusion as he turned the piece in his hands. Louis chuckled under his breath at the man's reaction, for his must've been the same as well. 

"It's a chest piece. You put it over your head and tie it at the sides," Louis pointed out before Meesha shaped his mouth into an ' _o_ ' at realization. 

Louis quietly took a seat right next to Harry as they both watched the man struggle to slip it on over his head. When he was finished and sat down in the chair across from them, his attention on tying the leather strings at his sides, Harry placed a bow and a case of arrows on the table to push towards him.

Meesha looked nervously at it as his breathing shifted under their intense gazes. Louis surveyed his actions and noticed how he tried to avoid eye contact with Harry anytime he could, making him painted as scared and emotionally vulnerable. Maybe he was even frightened by the green eyed Alpha. 

If so, Louis could see why.

"What we're going to do is ask you some questions. This is only to see if you have the requirements," Harry announced. "After this, we're going to go outside of the borders and you're gonna shoot some targets. How does that sound to you?"

"Uh, good," Meesha quickly nodded his head.

Louis could hear the small nervous tapping of Meesha's boots as he bounced his leg up and down under the table. He wanted to reach across the table to tell him that everything was fine and everything was going to go well, but he made sure to keep to himself. 

If he knew one thing, he knew that Hunters had to work excellently at what they do, whether or not they were nervous in any current situation. It was strictly pack rules, and Louis had to sit back and observe what Meesha was able to do under pressure. 

"I'm only going to ask you three questions and after that you will have the time to ask us anything in return," Harry ran his hands through his hair before leaning forward onto the table. "But first thing's first, _eye contact_."

Meesha quickly looked up at Harry with a faint look, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He then looked at Louis as if to keep his gaze away from Harry's intimidating glare. Louis felt bad for him. He was shaking in his chair and kept himself hunched forward as if he was protecting himself with any type of criticism. He was blowing his chances already by not showing up with enough confidence to show to Harry--the one and only guy who could possibly get him in with no questions asked.

"You seem to be nervous, so I'm just gonna hop right into the questions so we can get this over with," Harry's tone sounded low and airy, almost like it was filled with disappointment. 

Louis raised his eyebrow in response to the change of tone. He knew Harry could stand certain things over others, but he could sense the man becoming irritated with Meesha's shy display. And he had every right to because for Louis, he started to feel as if this was just going to be a waste of their time sitting there. 

But Louis also wanted to help Meesha achieve his dream, because did it ever hurt to be a little human?

"First question, do you have any experience with weapons of any sort? And if so, what were those experiences?" Harry asked as he rested his chin on his palm.

Meesha hesitated before answering, his gaze only lingering on Harry for a maximum of a second before looking at Louis for the rest of his answer.

"I have actually. I had a knife when I was younger that I would tie around a stick and use it as a spear to catch fish. I haven't really done much other than that, however. But I'm open and willing to learn anything that is willing to be taught," he answered truthfully.

Louis smiled at the answer as he took notice of Harry looking between them from the corner of his vision. He heard Harry scoff unexpectedly right next to him, causing Louis to look over at the green eyed Alpha. He was silent before he chuckled under his breath, making both Louis and Meesha confused at the sudden change of attitude. 

"Did he say something funny to you?" Louis asked as he crossed his arms and gave Harry a glowering look.

Instead of answering him, Harry just shook his head before rubbing at his chin and urging them to continue. Louis let go of it and rolled his eyes at the unexplained explosion of attitude that Harry just so happened to conjure up. Louis shrugged his shoulders when he meet Meesha's questioning gaze. 

"Don't mind him. Now next question," Louis kicked Harry underneath the table in an attempt to straighten him up.  

"Okay, next question. Why do you stare at Louis? Do you find him attractive?" Harry blurted out with a sarcastic smile written on his face. 

Louis almost choked. _Almost_. He clenched his jaw and dug his nails into the flesh of his palms as he tried to calm his breathing. Meesha, on the other hand, sat wide eyed and mumbled words that had no coherence to form an actual logical sentence.

"Harry, that's not professional," Louis said through gritted teeth. 

Harry just shrugged his shoulders and wore a slug look that read _I-don't-care-because-I'm-the-leader_. Louis kicked him from underneath the table once more, to which Harry jumped from the sudden action. He let his bottom lip fall into a pout before raising his eyebrows at the Omega. 

"What? I'm just trying to loosen the nervousness. I'm not being serious," Harry retaliated before slamming his hand down on the table. "But in all seriousness, let's get to the next question here."

Louis blinked with an emotionless expression as he looked at the corner of the room. If he could, he would absolutely punch Harry at the moment. Even if him joking was to loosen up the mood, it sent Louis into a mindset that he'd have to drag a pure Hell Hound Alpha--who was way stronger than Louis--off of Meesha. He had flashbacks of the Abdul situation, which sent him into a high drive of security. 

"Second question," Harry paused to make sure Meesha was listening. "Why do you want to be a hunter?"

This time, Meesha made sure to avoid any eye contact with Louis. He only gave small glances to Harry before looking at his fingers, and then back at Harry for a short amount of time. 

"I've just always wanted to be one. I thought it would be cool to provide for my pack and have a purpose here, instead of just, I don't know, living here," Meesha pointed at Harry. "You're a good example. You work to protect us and lead us, and I feel as if Louis' job is to be the connection between you and the pack."

Louis quickly intercepted into the conversation. "Why do you say that?" 

Meesha shrugged his shoulders. "Because Harry is intimidating--no offense--which makes people not want to confront him about anything. And if you try to get into contact with any other official in the pack, they either don't listen or they don't take you serious. But Louis is there to listen to anyone who needs to be heard, and he doesn't show any judgement for whatever is said. Many people would agree with me."

Louis beamed with self pride as Meesha spoke. In all honesty, he hadn't really thought of himself as that, or really in any way for helping the pack, but for Meesha to bring light to this, he felt like he accomplished a mission.

A mission to fit in. To accept the trust of people. 

"Thank you Meesha. I didn't realize I had an impact on anyone in the pack...yet," Louis gave him a soft half grin, but it quickly faded when Harry turned to him. "What?"

"Really?"

"What?" Louis repeated again. "Did I offend you on accident?"

"Yeah, kinda," Harry nodded his head as he scrunched up his eyebrows.

Louis was about ready to retaliate until Meesha broke the conversation between them. 

"You guys sorta fight like an old married couple," Meesha said with a genuine smile that showed for the first time he was there. 

Harry hummed before turning back to the interviewee. "Louis starts it everytime." 

"No I do not! Screw off," Louis punched Harry's arm, only for them to both share a wide humorous smile. 

The nervousness in the room that drenched the air before was now a ghost in the wind. The banter between them showed a different side to Harry, one that Meesha was sure he'd never see. It was full of humor and relaxation.

"Get onto the third question you freak," Louis laughed before falling back into his chair. 

"You're a freak," Harry fought back.

Louis just rolled his eyes in response. He let Harry win this one, but only _once_ to get the conversation rolling again. Meesha seemed to be less tense with a smile hanging slightly on his face from watching them, he also seemed to be making longer eye contact with Harry--it showed Louis that he was slowly letting go of the anxiety that first held him down when he arrived. 

"Third question, have you ever killed anything?" Harry raised his eyebrow while watching the man across from him.

"Uh," Meesha's lips turned into a pout as he thought. "Just fish, I guess?"

"Oh wow," Harry turned to Louis as his voice was covered in sarcasm. "You hear that Lou?  _Just_ fish. We got a killer on our hands."

Louis chuckled under his breath as he shook his head before standing up from his chair. He bit his bottom lip before swinging a hand up to swat at the back of Harry's head, the gesture being of revenge for his little joke earlier. When his hand came into contact with the Alphas head, Harry flinched purposely and scratched at the place of impact. 

"You see what I have to deal with?" Harry pointed at Louis as he made his way around the table.

Louis let out a booming laugh as he grabbed his own set of arrows and a bow before turning around to meet their gazes. "You're gonna have to deal with more if you don't get up. Meesha's got some targets to shoot."

❍

Harry and Louis were both silently leaning against a tree while observing Meesha shoot with a bow. His targets were multiple dead bird carcasses strapped up in a low hanging tree, and his goal was to hit either three or four within the next five minutes.

However, with the way he awkwardly stood or held his bow incorrectly, Louis had a feeling that Harry wasn't going to yes to letting him become a hunter. Despite the friendly banter earlier, Harry was still the leader and he had to make his own choices to better the pack, even if it meet killing the dreams of some of the members who resided inside the borders. Sad? Yes.

Meesha shot an arrow--with the wrong technique, may he add--and Louis watched as it missed and flew feet away from striking _any_ bird. He could sense the tension in the air that vibrated in waves from the blond, and he felt sick to his stomach as he watched him completely botch the whole process. 

Louis rolled his head lazily and sighed with defeat. His minding was telling him that he brought Meesha out just to fail. To embarrass himself in front of not only Harry, but himself as well. He would have to go back to Niall, all heartbroken and sappy, just to announce that he didn't make the cut. 

When another arrow came flying inches away from a bird carcass, Louis slumped his shoulders and pushed himself off the tree. Harry turned to follow Louis' every move as he trudged over to Meesha, his eyebrow raised in confusion as to what the Omega was doing. 

Louis whistled to grab the blond's attention and once he did, he motioned for him to lower his bow. 

"Posture is key. Your legs are slightly bent and you're leaning back too far. Stand straight," Louis placed one hand on Meesha's chest and the other on his back to show him the correct position. 

Meesha stood straighter at the touch, his cheeks slightly blushing a deep crimson as he watched Harry clench his jaw from the sidelines. The green eyed Alpha watched intently at the touch Louis was providing to help Meesha, and his fingers dug into the sides of his arms as he watched.

"Louis," Harry warned from behind them, but Louis shooed him off. 

"I'm showing him a good stance," Louis retaliated before stepping back to get a better view. 

Harry tried his best to keep from clenching his teeth. "You can show him a good stance without touching him, you know."

Louis motioned for Meesha to shoot once again before he turned to stand a few feet behind him. "Well, I don't see you helping him?"

"Of course I'm not going to. He should've known the basics of hunting before he decided to ask us to do this," Harry fought back, but Louis just silently waved him away once again. 

Even though Louis saw absolutely no working potential in Meesha, he still believed that maybe something small--like his stance or placement of feet--would flick a switch and he would prove everyone wrong. But when he shot another arrow, only for it to come not even close, Louis felt like giving up right then and there. 

Louis huffed as he grabbed his own bow and stepped forward next to Meesha. He retrieved an arrow from his case on his back, retracted it in the string of his bow, and lifted it up correctly. Meesha lowered his own to watch Louis as he focused on a carcass from far away.

"I want you to take key on some things that I'm doing," Louis stated as he closed one eye to train the arrow on his target. "My elbow is out, my arm is straight, and my shoulder blades are pushed together. This way gives you more control." 

He gave Meesha time to observe the technique before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Louis let go of the arrow, the gust of wind from the sudden movement drifting over his face, and opened his eyes to watch the arrow as it flew at it's target in a quick speed. It impaled the dead bird's chest without any complications, making it the perfect kill shot if it were alive. 

Louis slowly dropped the bow and turned towards Meesha to urge him to do the same, but Meesha stood taken aback by the Omega's skills. 

"Damn Lou," Meesha looked at the impaled bird with wide eyes. "You sure got some talent when it comes to this stuff."

Louis let out a soft laugh. "Been hunting my whole life. Practice is what it takes."

Harry scoffed from behind them, making them both turn to watch as he rested his head against the tree with closed eyes. "You two love birds done or do I have to end the session right now?"

Louis rolled his eyes before leaning forward to whisper under his breath. "He's like an angry bear."

Harry opened one of his eyes to glare at the Omega. "Keep talking like that and you're gonna get it."

Louis stuck his tongue out tauntingly before he turned to motion towards the dead birds with a tilt of his head. "Alright, try what I showed you." 

When Meesha followed through with Louis' instructions and lifted his bow--without an arrow--he looked at the Omega for proper aid in his form. However, before Louis could fix anything with his technique, he was taken aback when Harry stepped between them to grab the weapon from Meesha, completely disarming him without any proper warning. He then turned, gave Louis a cheeky look, and grabbed the Omega's bow as well before stalking away without another word to the both of them.

It took Louis a few moments of awkwardly standing to think about the situation before he jumped in action. Meesha watched dumbfounded as the Alpha trudged back down the trail that they came from.

"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" Louis barked as he quickly followed behind the Alpha. "That's totally uncalled for!"

Meesha followed behind but kept his distance. Louis could hear his own breathing become rapid as he jogged up next to Harry. His strides were wider from having longer legs, causing Louis to fast walk as he tried to keep his pace even.

"So that's it? You're not gonna say anything? Just gonna take Meesha's chance and sweep it under the rug?" Louis bellowed as he held his arms up to his sides. 

Harry looked at him before switching both bows to one shoulder. He was wondering if this was another joke, but Harry didn't seem to be in the humorous spirit as he walked with a blank expression.

"He has no potential. If he wants to give back to the pack he can be a warrior. They train people right from scratch, he doesn't even need the experience," Harry recommended.

Louis stopped in his tracks, causing Meesha to stop a few feet behind him as well. Harry kept walking, however, leaving the two of them to stand in their places.

" _No_. He wants to be a hunter, so I'm gonna train Meesha so he has the hunting experience. Matter of fact, we'll start right now," Louis turned to look at the blond, his tone of voice sardonic. "Right?"

Before Meesha could respond, Louis was taken aback when he was forcibly spun around to face Harry and thrown carefully over his shoulder in own swift motion. The speed of which Harry moved dazed him out of reality for a second, his mind slow to process what just happened. Once he figured out the situation, he groaned and punched at Harry's muscular back as he squirmed. 

"Put. Me. Down," Louis warned. 

However, the only response he got back was silence. Harry turned to Meesha, who was soundlessly following them, and urged him to take both of the bows from the shoulder he wasn't hauling Louis over. When Meesha gladly accepted them, Harry carefully readjusted Louis into a fireman carry.

He draped Louis over the back of both of his shoulders before he wrapped one arm wrapped around the inside of Louis' knee, and his other hand gripped at Louis elbow to keep him hoisted up and in place, that way he wouldn't be able to squirm or escape from his perch.

"Harry," Louis' voice was low in warning. "Let me go."

Harry shook his head and tightened his grip.

"There's nothing in this world that would make me let you go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THouGhtS?


	19. War General

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is REALLY short compared to the others, but don't fret. We're going to be stepping into some new territory here in a few chapters. *puts on shades* SO BUCKLE UP MY SWEETS BEFORE IT GETS FAST
> 
> ALSO I GOT TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU READERS:  
> 1) How would you feel if I put a song--or multiple--on every chapter? That way if you're someone who likes to listen to stuff as you read, you'll have some music to go along with the vibe of the chapter. 
> 
> 2) Does anyone use Wattpad here and do you recommend it? I've been thinking of putting this story on there too just in case anything ever happens to the story here. If so, I'd have to make an account and I'd like to follow some of you all!

Harry's voice was mumbled through the door to Louis' room. "Louis, stop moping around."

Louis kept quiet as he placed his pillow over his head and plugged his ears. Ever since they got back from Meesha's failed attempt at becoming a hunter, Louis had holed himself up in his room to isolate his being from Harry. 

Not because he was mad that Harry made a decision that he knew would be best, but because he hadn't given the poor lad a chance at improving. He hated it, and he knew that deep down the feeling stemmed from his past. He was never given a chance and he and his family were cast out into the outskirts of loneliness. 

"Louis," Harry warned from the other side of the door. "I will kick this down. Don't think I'm joking."

Louis flung his pillow from over his head so Harry could hear him better. "I'm trying to sleep, go away."

"No, I got something important to tell you."

"Tell me in the morning."

"No right now is the perfect time."

Louis rolled his eyes before he moved underneath his covers to get more comfortable. He had no intentions of getting up to unlock the door. He was comfy just the way he was currently.

"Right now is the perfect time to sleep," Louis argued.

He heard Harry groan as he stood impatiently outside the door. Louis could imagine him standing with one hand on the door frame, the other on his hip as he stared down at his crossed feet. He could practically sense him rolling his eyes.

"Louis, you are _the_ most childish person on this planet," Harry ran his hand through his hair before mumbling under his breath. "You have to come out of this room sometime."

" _S_ _ometime,_ but not now," Louis retaliated. 

And despite the current situation, Louis may have been envisioning Harry as the pillow he was currently snuggling deeper into. He closed his eyes and laid with a soft smile, his own heartbeat running in his ear, making him picture it as the Alphas instead. He wanted the pillow to be Harry's chest, he wanted to feel the Alpha's long fingers playing with his own soft fawn colored hair, he wanted the feeling of someone's hand brushing along his back in a loving touch.

Footsteps slowly receded away from Louis' door, making him aware that Harry was now gone from outside. A feeling of being punched in the chest overcame Louis as he listened to the faint footsteps. He didn't want him to leave.

But then again, they were in the same house. And Harry's room was right across from his own.

Louis knew that if he ever needed anything, Harry was always there.

❍

Louis was currently sleeping on his stomach with one hand under his pillow and the other on top. The blanket stopped midway to his back and his feet were slightly sticking out from underneath. The draft of an opened window--one he didn't remember was open--let in a cold morning gust of air that tickled his feet and made him squirm.

A cool breeze drifted along the back of his neck, causing him to groan and move just inches away. He expected for it to be a fly, for it was soft and quick, or the wind from the open window, but when the breeze came again and the bed began to dip down right next to him, he slowly opened one eye. He turned his head, his hair messy and spiked from rolling around all night, and saw Harry slightly leaning over him. 

"Hi," Harry smiled with both his dimples on display.

Louis raised an eyebrow lazily. "What are you doing?"

"I was trying to wake you up."

Louis paused as he looked at the wide door. "How did you get into my room? It was locked."

Harry pulled a key from his back pocket and twirled it in his hand. Louis groaned and plopped his head back down to rest against the soft fabric of his pillow. Harry wasn't having it, however.

Louis felt two large hands wrap around his ankles before he was dragged inches off the bed. His eyes opened wide as he tried to grab at anything for leverage, but the hands around his ankles had disappeared within a flash. Harry stopped and soon received a forced, lazy angry glare from Louis.

Pure Omegas needed their long rest and Harry was currently ruining Louis' much needed beauty sleep. Yet, he also couldn't hold the Alpha to that because for all he knew, Louis was a Hell Hound Alpha to him. Not a Pure Omega. He was sure if Harry knew the truth, he would be tucking him in and urging him to sleep more, possibly even joining him in his slumber. 

Louis wanted to tell him, but it had to be at the right time. It just had to.

Louis threw his pillow at Harry. "You called me childish, but look at you."

Harry caught the pillow with quick ease. "I told you I had something important to say. But you said last night wasn't the perfect time. So right now is."

"Yeah yeah," Louis groaned as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his elbows against his knees. "Could've given me an extra five minutes."

He rubbed at the corner of his eyes to erase the sleep and took a deep breath in. As soon as he had, he smelt something that made his mouth water instantly. _Bacon_. Louis was smelling bacon and he was about ready to fight to the death for it. He hadn't had it in so long that he wasn't sure how he made it this far without it. 

Louis raised his head and looked out into the dark hallway. "Do I smell bacon?"

"You do," Harry chuckled as he stood in front of the Omega. "I made breakfast for us."

Louis looked at him with a tilt of his head. "For us?"

"Yes," Harry ran his hand through Louis' hair.

Louis felt himself freeze for a fraction of the second but soon relaxed. He found himself starting to get use to the small touches every now and then. He craved them. Louis closed his eyes at the touch and his skin became littered with goosebumps, but it all disappeared when Harry pulled his hand away.

"I'll tell you what my news is during breakfast, so come," Harry urged Louis up and once he stood from his bed, he motioned with his head to follow him.

Louis obeyed as he sleepily walked from his room, down the dark hallway, and out into the kitchen. He rubbed at his eyes with a deep yawn and sat in the closest chair to him, perhaps almost missing the seat from how tired he was, and watched the Alpha wander around the island he sat at. Harry placed one full plate in front of him and then another in the seat across from him. 

"So," Harry sat down as he made eye contact with Louis. 

Louis didn't bother to waste any time in eating his bacon. He did, however, manage to keep himself from chowing down hungrily in front of the Alpha. 

"What did you want to tell me?" Louis asked as soon as he swallowed his first piece. 

Harry took his time to actually speak up, almost as if he was afraid that he was going to say something insulting. "You know about the ambush, yes?"

"Yea," Louis took another bite of his bacon.

"Well, Clyde was suppose to be second in command. He was supposed to help lead our warriors into the ambush. But something happened," Harry began picking at his food. 

Louis dropped his food that was in his hand and raised his eyebrow. Not only was he feeling angry at Clyde's name, but he also felt alarmed. Had he done something to Harry? If so, Louis was going to storm out the house right then and kill the General himself. 

"What happened?" Louis asked worriedly. 

Harry looked up at him. "I demoted him."

Louis sat wide eyed and mouth agape. He tried to speak, but all that came out was absolutely nothing. He leaned forward over his plate with a look saying that he wanted more details. Harry seemed to take the hint. 

"You told me you wanted me to speak to him, so I did. In the process, I may have gotten into a quarrel with him, and that caused me to demote him," Harry paused to take a bite before continuing. "And now his position is open and I want to put you in it. That way you can help lead the warriors as well. But I need to know if you'd want to take the position."

Louis' cheeks felt hot to the touch as they grew a deep crimson. "Of course I'll take it. But why me?"

"Because I want you to be by me side when we ambush. Plus, from what Meesha said, you're a great addition to the pack," Harry stated. "We need that."

Louis smiled a small grin, one that was full of admiration and thanks. He didn't expect that one day he'd ever become such a part in the pack, or a pack at all, but he was quickly making his way up the social ladder from within. 

He went from being no one on the outskirts of a small village, to being put into one of the lead positions on perhaps the most powerful Hell Hound pack known to man. He was pushing his boundaries, but with the world he lived in now and being the last of his kind, he sorta had to.

"So if I'm the new War General and I have to lead the warriors in the ambush, then I may need some extra time to get them to warm up to me. They may not even listen to what I say, maybe they'll hate me because I'm replacing Clyde?" Louis pointed out while shrugging his shoulders. He didn't want to be hated. 

Harry quickly shooed away the idea while winking at Louis, causing a fluster into the Omega at such a small gesture. "Trust me, the warriors hate Clyde as well. He was only there because he was good at what he did, but he was an emotional problem on them."

Louis sighed as he picked at a loose string on his shirt. "If you say so."

"And Louis," Harry swallowed a bite of his bacon before continuing. "We're doing the ambush in two days. I've talked to Liam about it and it's set in stone, so if you want to meet your warriors, I'd head off as soon as you're done ea-"

Harry didn't have any time to finish as Louis jumped from his seat and grabbed his coat from the hook near the door. Harry watched with a raised eyebrow and his mouth agape from how fast the Omega could move. 

"Louis wa-"

"I'm off," Louis stated quickly. 

"But you haven't even finished eating?" Harry pointed to the plate that was still packed halfway with food. 

Louis looked between Harry and the plate before marching over to it. He grabbed the leftover pieces of bacon before winking at Harry and turning towards the door. 

"I also haven't meet my warriors yet," Louis told him excitedly. "I'm gonna be the best damn War General."

And with that, Louis stormed out of the house with pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to drop your Wattpad names in the comments if you want me to follow you! (That's if you have it, of course.)


	20. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late updates my loves! I'm on Wattpad (PillowBite), so if you ever need to reach me quicker, feel free to send me a message over there!
> 
> But for the reasons as to why I had a late update: I'm currently in the midst of creating a new book. The idea has been floating inside my head for a while now. And for all of you who have an obsession with the Styles Triplets, then you're in luck because it has them in it! Of course, I'm not gonna update it as much as I am this story, for a lot of people seem to really like this one (I love writing it as well, the characters are like my little family.) So I gotta focus on this book now, I just took a week off to sorta build the other. Hope you all don't mind, because the other one will be fabulous! I promise! :D

**Song: Freedom Fighters by Two Steps From Hell (I basically just had this on repeat the whole time.)**

* * *

  _Louis found himself being pulled harshly over his fathers back, his own backside hitting the ground roughly in a quick motion. The impact made the oxygen leave his lungs and his ribs stung in sudden pain from the force. Sam was on the sidelines with his mother, her eyes full of sorrow and guilt as she watched. Louis rolled over while grabbing the side of his ribs, his face scrunched up in pain as his father grabbed him from the back of his shirt collar and pulled him up._

_Louis whined in pain while begging for his father to let him go. Both of his small hands found their way around his fathers wrists as his bright, blue eyes glared into his fathers disappointed ones._

_"I didn't train you to give up Louis," his father bellowed before pushing Louis back into the dirt._

_He fell backwards and scraped his elbow in the process. A puff of loose dirt flew up around him as his shoulder blades hit the ground, sending a stinging sensation up along his entire body as he tried to spit the dirt from his mouth._

_"Get up," his father demanded as he paced back and forth in front of his son._

_Louis wiped at his broken lip, a smear of blood smudging along his hand as he did so. His blue eyes found his fathers as his breath hitched. It was painful to breath. He was trained everyday, and after the session ended, he had no time to heal before he went at it again hours later._

_"Louis! Up!"_

_He flinched as he attempted to pull himself up. His body was slumped over and a string of drool, which was now stained red from a cut somewhere in his mouth, lingered down his chin._

_"I can't do this," Louis managed to whisper, his voice loud enough for his father to hear._

_"Louis, when the time comes where you're forced to face something stronger than you, they will not stop when you tell them that," his father warned before slowly raising his fists. "Now come on, let's keep at it."_

_Louis groaned as he painfully brought his loose fists up in a defensive stance. He didn't feel as if he had the power to continue, for he was so small compared to his father. He wanted to drop from exhaustion, but when he caught a glimpse of his caring mother on the sidelines he felt the little invisible nudge to keep going. But it wasn't much, sadly._

_"Tell me, Louis," his father started as he gained his sons attention once again. "If you were to go up against one, do you think you could defend yourself against an Alpha Hell Hound right now?"_

_Louis shook his head no._

_"What about in ten years?"_

_Louis paused. He couldn't even see himself being alive in the next ten years. "No."_

_His father laughed, causing Louis to grow confused as he tilted his head. He hated that sound. He absolutely hated it with a passion. It haunted him when he was both awake and asleep._

_"Good answer."_

_Louis felt even more confused. His father always told him he was going to train him to defend for himself. So why the twist of words now?_

_"What do you mean?" Louis' voice felt broken and weak. "Wouldn't the right answer be yes?"_

_His father shook his head. "The correct answer is no. I'm not training you to defend yourself from one. I'm training you to kill one."_

_There was a long pause of awkwardness that filled the air between the two of them before his father continued._

_"I want to say that I'm proud of you, Louis, but you haven't given me a reason to say it."_

* * *

Louis stood awkwardly in the doorway to the building that housed the training sessions for the warriors. 

There was a lot of space in the room, almost like the size of a town hall, and there were people dressed mostly in all black doing tasks around the entire room. Some were fighting others, some were cleaning gear, and others were chilling on benches around the room while in the midst of a conversation. It seemed quite peaceful, actually.

Louis took a step forward before someone cleared their throat loudly from beside him. He turned instantly to look at a group of men, their gazes trained on him as he stood halfway in the gigantic room. 

One of the men looked him up and down before speaking to him. "Never seen you before, first day here?"

Louis shook his head. "Uh yeah." There was a pause before he continued. "I'm Louis by the way."

One of the other men spoke up between them this time. "Louis Tomlinson, right? Man, I've heard a lot about you."

His hazel eyes meet Louis' blue ones as he stood up excitingly and marched over to stand in front of the curious Omega. Louis could tell he was an Alpha due to his size and stance, yet he was still smaller than the other men behind him. He held out his hand for Louis to take, which Louis took cautiously in a quick handshake.

"I'm Mason, but you're welcome to call me M for short," Mason stated with a warm, white smile. "Are you a new warrior?"

"I'm he-" Louis was cut short when a voice popped up from beside him. 

"Actually, he's the new War General," Harry eyed Mason and the group of men behind him as he stopped next to Louis. He must've followed Louis there.

As soon as Harry was in sight, they all straightened up and bowed their heads in respect for their leader--for both of their new leaders, actually. Mason bowed to the both of them, his eyes wide and hands shaking, before coming to stand back up in a fixed posture.

Louis smiled softly at the gesture. He appreciated it, but it felt foreign to him. From being an outcast and isolated, to being a leader and leading people in the front of the pack--it wasn't him. It didn't feel like him. 

"To our new General, may we serve our life to what you teach," Mason nodded his head before he began to bow again, but he was stopped midway by the Omega.

"There's no need for that," Louis told the group of men that were also in mid-bow. "I may be your new General, but I'm also just a Hell Hound. I'm as equal as you, so if you're gonna bow for me, than I'll do that for you as well."

Louis smiled a soft, genuine beam before it quickly faded underneath the sudden acknowledgement of someone coming near them from out of Louis' sight. He could practically _smell_  the trouble from this individual. His muscles involuntarily tensed and he clenched his jaw as he looked around Harry's body to eye an approaching Clyde. He was slowly marching towards them, a water bottle in one hand as he dragged his fingers through his brown hair with the other.

Harry followed Louis' gaze and once his eyes landed on the other Alpha, he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Of course, you're replacing me with _him_. Honestly thought you could do better," Clyde insulted as he placed the bottle on a nearby table. 

Louis never took his eyes off of him. He could feel the alarm dressing his skin in goosebumps and his mind raced with all the things he wanted to do to the old General. He wanted to punch him, kick him, yell at him, _anything_.

"I can assure you that Louis is the best option for this position," Harry fought back in annoyance before turning back towards Mason to continue their conversation. 

Mason was looking between the three of them, as well as the men behind him, but they all stayed in silence in fear of being snarled at. Louis, however, never bothered to take his eyes off of Clyde. 

"Best option _my ass_ ," Clyde raised his voice, causing everyone within their vicinity to turn to watch.

Before anything else could be said between anyone, Louis quickly marched around Harry and stopped to stand face to face with Clyde. His eyes were dark with anger and his fists were clenched tightly to the point where he was sure his nails were marking the flesh of his palms. He may have been shorter than the Alpha, but Louis didn't care. He had faith that he could take the man down. Easily.

"You're really underestimating what I can do, and you know what, I wanna settle that. You and I, right now, fist to fist," Louis held his arms up to his sides and straightened his posture. 

" _Louis_ , no," Harry was quick to intervene, but Louis turned around and pointed at him. 

Harry came to an abrupt stop, giving Louis a deep gaze of uncertainty as the Omega turned back around to Clyde. Louis wanted to settle the problem. 

"No one comes between us. We fight until one of us can't anymore," Louis pointed between them as a crowd began to gather. 

Before anyone could retaliate, Louis unzipped his grey hoodie and flung it on the ground without a second thought. He backed up a little as he watched Clyde do the same, except for the man had extracted a small knife from his pocket before flinging his sweatshirt to the side as well. There were a few murmurs in the crowd and Louis could practically feel Harry grow taut under the glimpse of the knife, his feelings of worry all on Louis as he watched from the sidelines.

But Louis was calm and collected. He knew how to handle his ground. His father taught him all he could, and because of that, he was ready to enter this fight without any weapon as support. His fists were all he needed. His faith and practice was all he needed. 

"I'm going to cut out your tongue," Clyde lowly warned as he twirled the blade in his palm. 

Louis didn't even bother to give the man an answer. He stood straight as a board with his clenched fists up in a defensive position to protect his face. He didn't have any intention to make the first move, but he had every intention to create the first injury between the two. He knew he wasn't going to come out without any scars. Harry picked Clyde for a reason, so he was sure there was going to be a great fight to make between them.

But Louis also grew up being trained almost everyday of his life, even after his father's death. He never let himself fall back in his own training. He's killed, he's defended, and he's protected. He knew how to hold his ground. 

And as soon as Clyde came straight at him with the knife in all it's glory, Louis decided that his first step was to disarm the man. 

Clyde swiped the knife towards Louis, the blade glistening in the light as the Omega quickly ducked from harms way. He shot up in an instance and brought his forearm up to block the mans arm from bouncing back with the knife, the blade just inches from cutting his cheek. Louis took no time in hooking his grip around Clyde's arm and smashing the mans forearm into the edge of a nearby table, completely disarming him. 

Clyde groaned in pain at the sudden impact as the sound of the knife clattering to the ground echoed just a few steps away from them. However, it was just a fraction of a second before Louis felt a rough impact to his cheek. He spun around so his back was to the Alpha, his fingertips sightly brushing over the patch of skin that stung from the force. 

Louis had to give the man the benefit of the doubt, he was strong. 

Louis was quick to deliver his next move. He spun around in his spot, completely dodging another hit from the Alpha, and flung his leg out to swipe the mans feet from underneath him. Clyde came stumbling backwards and landed on his back as Louis completely stood up in a flash. The Alpha was already in a quick motion to pick himself up and as he was, Louis grabbed his sweatshirt that was just a few feet away from him. 

Since Louis was so small and fast, he beat Clyde in speed and wrapped his sweatshirt around the Alpha's neck before tightening it. Clyde had no choice but to tear at the sweatshirt as Louis shuffled backwards with his grip pulling the fabric against the Alphas neck. Clyde's legs were scurrying across the ground as he pushed himself backwards to travel in the Omega's pace. 

However, something that Louis didn't expect was for the Alpha to reach up, grip his forearm, and extract his Hell Hound nails to pierce deeply under his skin. Louis hollered in quick pain as he was forced to let go, releasing Clyde as he stumbled back while gripping at the wound. There was instant bleeding, causing long trails of blood to stain his skin and the flesh of his palm as he applied pressure to it. 

Louis looked back up as Clyde ran straight at him. He had no choice in action as the man rammed his shoulder into his stomach, sending him through multiple stands of armor that fell from their perch and covered a fallen Louis. He struggled to see through the blurriness of falling armor pieces, but as soon as Clyde came into view right above him with a helmet in his hands, he quickly rolled at the right time to watch as the helmet was smashed into the ground roughly in the spot where his head was just mere seconds before. 

Clyde brought the helmet up once more and smashed it down above Louis, but the Omega was quick to retrieve armor from the pile around him to use as a blockade. Louis brought his legs back before flinging them up and into the abdomen of the Alpha to push him away. Clyde stumbled back a few steps, giving Louis just enough time to make it to his knees. 

Louis brought the piece of armor back and swung it forward as Clyde headed straight towards him. It struct Clyde, making a hard impact with the side of his head and causing the Alpha to temporarily fall limp as he rolled a few feet away. 

The crowd followed them as they watched Louis stand up swiftly on both of his legs. His forearm was now a fountain of blood, the crimson liquid staining his tank top and whole arm as he swiped at the blood on his lip. 

Clyde, on the other hand, pushed himself to his feet slowly as he stared directly at the Omega in pure red rage. There was no telling what he had coming next, but when Clyde took a few quick steps forward and swung his leg up to kick at Louis' side, Louis was already preparing to hold the Alphas leg in place as soon as it came in contact with his side. When his grip was tight and they connected their gazes, Louis pulled his arm back and swiftly hauled it forward to hit Clyde directly in his face. 

The Alpha's head bounced back as Louis let his grip go, making the larger man fall backwards onto the ground as he clutched at his nose. Louis was certain that Clyde was ready to give up, but when a piece of armor was flung at him, making him flinch and dodge the object, the Alpha was back up with his Hell Hound nails dragging across Louis' tank top. The tips of them barely got Louis' skin, making him thankful for his own quick reflexes. 

As Clyde was pulling back his hand from the attempted swipe, Louis took the open opportunity to swing his arms around the larger man and pulled him backwards into the remaining armor stands that were still upright. He watched as the pieces fell around Clyde as the Alpha quickly recovered and picked himself back up, his chest heaving as Louis' forehead was glistening with sweat. 

Louis stalked forward with all he had. He just wanted the fight to be over, but every time the Alpha went down, he would come back up with more to give. The blue eyed Omega gave each perfect punch his all as his force was rammed into any part of Clyde's face. Clyde managed to dodge some punches, along with send some back to Louis who, indeed, found the strength to dodge all of the Alpha's hits. 

However, when Clyde began to sag, his shoulders slumping and body leaning forward in exhaustion, Louis took the opportunity to wrap his fingers around the mans head and push his face downwards to come in contact with his knee. Blood soaked his pants as the Alpha's nose cracked against Louis' knee, the sound gross and cringe-worthy. When Clyde came stumbling back up, his head backwards and nose a fountain of blood, Louis took the perfect last hook. His fist impacted roughly with the Alpha's chin, causing him to fall backwards in an unconscious heap. 

It felt like an eternity before Louis realized he won.

Louis stood quiet as the crowd around him cheered loudly. Some of the warriors had instantly attended to Clyde--as any member should have--as Louis wiped at the blood on his face. He dropped his hands, threw his head back to gather a few good breaths, before slowly falling backwards in a sudden wave of exhaustion. 

However, Harry had caught him in mid-fall. He clutched Louis close to him as he gently lowered the Omega to sit on the ground. Harry plopped down right behind him as people around them began yelling happily and throwing their fists in the air. 

Apparently Louis wasn't the only one to hate Clyde.

Harry stretched his legs out so they were now hugging Louis' as well. His chest was pressed against Louis' back, and his arms were wrapped around his torso to keep the Omega upright in his sitting position. A large hand found its way through Louis hair as he relaxed back into the protection of the pure Alpha. 

Harry rested his chin on top of Louis' head as he gathered his breath. 

"I'm proud of you," Harry whispered, and surprisingly, Louis was able to pick it through the loud cheering of the warriors around them.

* * *

Louis groaned in satisfaction as he entered back into the warmth of his and Harry's home. He threw his head back before stumbling forward to slide into a kitchen seat at the island. Harry was quiet as he shut the door behind them and made his way around the kitchen to gather a cup of water for the Omega to drink to replenish his small body. 

"Thanks Haz," Louis mumbled through sleepiness as he accepted the water. 

Harry was silent as he leaned forward on his elbows on the surface of the table. Louis took a long sip of water to moisten his dried throat before he decided to confront the Alpha on his thoughts. 

"What's up? You're quiet," Louis was soft spoken. 

"Because I'm angry at you," Harry was blunt as he looked up at the Omega.

Louis blinked blankly before looking down at this almost empty cup. He drew circles along the mug with his thumb to busy himself, for he didn't want to find himself in a fight. He was tired and just wanted to sleep. However, the lack of eye contact didn't stop Harry from continuing. 

"You could've gotten seriously hurt. You didn't even talk to me first either. I was worried the whole time," Harry straightened his posture as his voice rose higher. "Hell, I was about ready to step between the two of you and end Clyde myself. Do you know how close I was to actually killing him because he hurt you?!"

Louis couldn't find the courage to make himself look up. "But everything's fine. So can we just end this before it turns into some kind of argument?"

"Louis-" Harry began, but he stopped when Louis looked up.

"You said you were proud of me for standing up against Clyde. I gave you a reason, so don't fall back and yell at me," Louis blurted out. 

Sure, he was playing on his emotions from back when his father was always training him. He was never told by his father that he was proud of him, and he never would be told that either. But Harry saying it made wonders. It stirred something inside of him, something that was a lock to his pure Omega emotions.

He always wanted to hear those words, and as soon as they left Harry's mouth, he couldn't help but have his inner Omega feel for Harry in admiration. 

Tears were forming at Louis' waterline. He was an emotional wreck. He was happy because he beat Clyde, he was satisfied because Harry was proud of him, but he was sad because he didn't want to fight. 

As soon as the glistening of Louis' eyes threatened the signal of any incoming tears, Harry's features grew soft as he marched around the table and wrapped his arms around Louis. He placed his chin atop the Omegas head as Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's torso. He rested his head against the Alpha's chest and closed his eyes, his hearing focused solely on the fast beating of Harry's heart. It was like a song made just for him, to help calm down his inner Omega.

However, the thing that _really_ calmed him was the soft butterfly kiss that was placed on top of his forehead. And the small circles that Harry's thumb slowly traced along his back. Louis treasured the sensation despite how tired he currently was.

"We leave soon to go on the ambush. I need help getting ready tomorrow," Harry whispered after a few moments of silence. "Can you gather the food tomorrow? It's a day trip and we need enough for a lot of people."

Louis shook his head. "Yeah, I'll take a visit to the kitchen tomorrow."

"Thank you," Harry whispered as he placed yet another kiss on top his head.

Louis knew that Harry didn't mean the motion in a romantic type of way, even though Louis saw it in that way. Or well, he _wanted_ to see it in that way. He knew Harry was doing it just to calm the Omega. 

As soon as Harry withdrew from the embrace, he gently nudged the clean white bandage on Louis' forearm from where Clyde's nails dug into his skin. Harry planted a soft kiss on the white fabric before smiling a deep, dimpled grin that fell crooked on his face. 

"Night Lou," Harry whispered before gently dropping his arm and exiting from Louis' vicinity.

Louis smiled as he watched the pure Alpha stalk into the dark hallway, his stride fast and body towering in power as he made his way to his bedroom.  

"Night Haz," Louis whispered underneath his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found it difficult to write a fighting scene, but I kinda think it turned out decent?


	21. What He Doesn't Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's anything in this that doesn't make sense/add up to anything else in my story then my apologies. It's literally been months (since October, I believe?) since I've done anything with this story. I’ve made sure to edit and get back into the story, but I feel like I might’ve missed some small details. 
> 
> I had to go back and read some stuff that I forgot and if I've missed anything, feel free to add something in the comments so I can go back and fix it in case I didn't catch it! I don't have any Beta readers, so it's just me, myself, and I. 
> 
> I'm just trying to get back into the groove of things!

Louis was as nervous as ever.

Today is the day.

Time for the ambush.

Louis quickly heaved his small pouch strap over his shoulder to gain a better grip, the contents of the package containing some small snacks and knives of the sort. He was currently wearing a buckskin tunic with matching pants to go with, and over his chest he wore a plate of brown leather armor that was fastened tightly to his torso. A case of arrows sat secure along his back as well and with it came the bow too.

Compared to the soldiers—who were currently trudging through the mud behind him—that were dressed in all armor, their helmets a representation of their status by color, Louis was considered practically under dressed. His arms and face were bare to the cold, afternoon breeze.

It wasn’t that Louis didn’t want to be safe by not wearing any of the warrior gear. Being in _normal_ clothes during a confrontation was just what he was used to. All the armor would hold him down and keep him from being able to move fast in combat, and the helmet hugged against his ears in a way that would've muffled everything, so when the time came to dressing and Harry noticed Louis’ lack of movements to dress into proper clothing to protect himself, Louis practically had to force Harry to accept his choice.

And he did, even if he didn’t want to.

However, speaking of Harry, the Alpha was slowly walking a few feet in front of Louis while marching down a steep hill lined with trees and bushes of the sort. Louis reached his hand out to plant it firmly against a nearby tree to keep himself from rolling down the hill like _last_ time. He didn’t need any daggers in his side again.

Louis dug his feet into the fallen leaves to keep his balance steady as he watched Harry glide down the slope effortlessly. Behind him were the beating footsteps of the rest of the warriors that were following the both of them--mostly Harry--to their location for their next quick five minute break. Brandy was included with the warriors, and despite him being a hunter as well, he was a good fighter too. He appeared next to Louis--almost startling him in the process--as soon as they both managed to find their way safely to the bottom of the hill.

"Hey Louis, you nervous?" Brandy was half yelling through his helmet as he and Louis quickly caught up to Harry's long stride.

Damn the other man’s long legs. Louis couldn't keep the pace. 

Louis shrugged his shoulders as he readjusted the bow on his back. "What's the worse that could happen?"

"Well, for starters, you _could_ die," Harry butted in with a soft laugh, causing Louis to furrow his eyebrows.

Once the blue eyed pure Omega looked up into the green eyes of his leader, he smiled when he realized that Harry was just trying to lighten up the tense air between them from the thought of the ambush. There was a smirk that played on Harry's lips before he turned back to stare at the path that was in front of him.

"I guess that's a possibility, yeah," Louis inquired.

Brandy spoke up, his voice loud so he could hear himself through his own helmet. "Is this really a topic you guys want to discuss as we're about to head into an ambush?"

"Is this really a topic you _don't_ want to discuss? You got any last words, this is the time to address," Louis stated.

He received a conceded look from Brandy, his eyes soft but hard at the same time as they made a short burst of eye contact. Talking about death while going into a dangerous situation was scary, yes, but for some reason it didn't quite terrify him. He had this cloud of protection over his head and it wasn’t because he knew Harry would be looking out for him, but because he's dealt with Werewolves before.

He's killed them before.

With a somewhat confident smirk dressing his own features, he mentally assured himself that he was going to be okay. He just had that gut feeling. Sure, he'll most likely come out with some bruises but he always defended both him and Sam before he joined the pack, so what made this time different?

"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine," Harry stated as he stepped over a fallen log.

Louis noticed from Harry’s body language that he was relaxed and from his tone of voice, he sounded incredibly calm despite the circumstances. He admired from his stance, the man was like a poster boy for the perfect warrior; the perfect Leader.

What Louis could identify from the man's posture and attitude was that Harry must've felt the same when it came to his own well being. He was the leader. He was basically untouchable.

And not to add, but he was also a pure Hellhound Alpha. No one who was sane enough would ever choose to go against him out on a battlefield. Louis for sure wouldn’t. Hell, if Louis saw him in battle, he would be running the other way.

Harry was intimidating to say the least and he held more power than anyone else he's ever meet. It radiated off of him constantly. Louis could remember back to when he first meet an Alpha Hellhound. He could feel the power come from them in waves, but with Harry, there were no waves of power. It was just there at every existing second.

Louis stepped over a fallen log while his eyes were pinned on scanning over Harry’s every move. He wasn’t trying to be weird with the staring, but to be as close as he was to a pure Alpha Hellhound was _incredible_. He couldn’t stop himself from admiring the green eyed man as the Alpha ducked under a fallen tree, snapping a twig that was in his way in the process. Louis picked up his pace to get closer to the Hellhound which in turn left Brandy a few feet behind him.

”Hey,” Louis raised his voice enough just for Harry to hear. 

“Huh?” Harry stopped to look back.

"You're not scared to go into battle, are you?" Louis asked as soon as he ducked under the same tree, his eyes meeting Harry’s as he caught up besides him.

As soon as they were mere inches apart, they continued to walk forward on their path while leaving everyone else behind. They were always in their own little world and none of the soldiers bothered to call forth to them to wait.

"No," Harry answered, his gaze drifting from the path in front of them to meet the Omega's once again. "And you aren't either."

"You're not wrong," Louis joked with a quick twitch of the corner of his lip. “I guess that makes me good at my job.”

Harry gave a little huff as he raised his eyebrows. He didn't respond, but the small smile that lasted on his face calmed Louis more than he already was. The dimples that popped from his cheeks made him seem younger than he was. They made him look soft and fragile, but he wasn't any of those.

"Hey, what's your biggest fear?" Louis' voice was gentle and quiet as he asked the question.

He honestly didn't really expect an answer, for it was more of a personal thing that was never meant to be asked or talked about nonetheless. It was like a piece of leverage or blackmail. It was information that you could hold against someone and with Harry, Louis could see someone threatening him with something he feared in order to get him to step down from his form of power.

His father always use to tell him that ' _if you can't take them down physically, you gotta get in their head, Louis. You gotta strike mentally._ '

But surprisingly Harry did respond with a short ' _yes_ ' that was muttered quietly under his breath. If it wasn't for Louis' heightened pure Omega abilities, he was sure that he would've missed it completely. 

"You know the Werewolf that we hanged?" Harry's voice was quieter than before, stating that what he was about to reveal was something meant to be between them and _just_  them. Louis shook his head as Harry looked at him with a sad glint in his eyes. "He had those pills to mask his real smell. And when I think about that, all I can see is me walking past someone without knowing who they really are. What if he wasn’t the only one?”

Harry turned his head to look at Louis, their eyes burning into each other’s. Louis tried not to show any emotion of guilt or regret, he knew that Harry could easily detect something, so he bit the inside of his cheek and decided to focus on Harry’s lips. He couldn't give himself away, not right now.

"Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll check up on you," Harry admitted silently. Louis raised his eyebrows yet he didn't dare to question at a time like this. Harry was opening up to him, that was good. He was learning. "And every time I do, I always get this pit in my stomach that when I walk into your room, you're not my Louis. The Louis that I recognize..." He trailed off, leaving Louis to continue for him.

"So you're afraid that you're gonna wake up one day...and I'm gonna...be a Werewolf?" Louis felt chills wave across his skin at the irony as Harry shook his head to confirm. "That's your biggest fear? Is me not being...me?"

Harry almost laughed at how difficult it sounded, but the laughter never came as he pressed his lips together in a firm line. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just feel something different about you and I'm scared to lose that feeling, because it's one I never felt before. It makes me feel _alive_."

 _Alive_. That word made Louis feel _alive_.

Louis fought the urge to smile as he bit his tongue and flared his nostrils to keep from giving into that said desire. He clenched his fist around the strap of his pouch that ran across his chest, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he held. He struggled to not look at Harry, he forced his eyes to stay on the path in front of them.

"What if..." Louis paused with his mouth slightly open. He would've stopped if it wasn't for Harry's questioning gaze lingering on him.

"What if I was? Would you kill me?"

Louis, yet again, couldn't find enough courage to look at the Alpha. He struggled in his walk to keep himself from letting loose and spilling everything right then and there. He needed to know. When Harry didn't answer, he silently cursed at himself for asking such a stupid question. He expected for the conversation to be dropped as soon as he saw Harry look away from him from the corner of his vision.

"Honestly I don't think I could."

It was like he took his first breath. 

Louis felt a soft comfort from that answer, almost as if his mother had wrapped her arms around him and sang him lullabies from when he was younger. It brought him some sort of inner peace. 

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from asking more, but he couldn't stop himself.

"What would you do if I was the pure Omega? Would you be mad that I kept such a secret?" Louis felt his heart beat faster as he heard Harry whine a soft, painful noise of, what was it? Sadness? Loneliness?

Was it longing?

Harry took a few seconds to gather himself before answering in a deep, hollow tone. "I don't know if I wanna talk about this, Louis," Harry's eyes were beginning to gloss over as he lowered his head.

Louis took that as a invite to drop the subject completely and shook his head in silent understanding as he drew in a long breath.

He just _had_ to ruin the moment of truth, didn’t he? Louis mentally checked that topic as a ' _touchy'_   matter to Harry and he reminded himself to not risk bringing it up again; however, he was stubborn in his own ways and knew that he would, someday, bring up that question--that's if his secret wasn't out by then.

His paced slowed down unintentionally as his inner omega felt ashamed of itself. His head hung low and he kept his lips connected shut. He wasn't mad at himself for asking the question, he was mad at himself for not coming out. Seeing the pain in the man in front of him hurt him in ways he couldn't understand yet.

And the thing was, Louis still wasn't sure why he didn't come clean of his secret by now. Harry just stated that he wouldn't kill him, so what was the wait exactly? Pictures of him and Harry as a couple flooded his mind as he walked silently by the man. His lips pulled into a smile as he imagined his life; a family, a powerful pack, a good source of protection, and living on the top of the world. 

Why was he still Louis the Alpha Hellhound to Harry, and not Louis the Pure Omega? Why was he like this?

His smile quickly faded as he opened his mouth to express his apologies, but he found nothing coming out. His mind felt wrapped in on itself as he wrapped his arms around his torso to secure his inner Omega from reaching out to Harry's, and as soon as the Alpha's boots were out of his vision, he found it too late to erase his mistake.

Louis used to think that whatever someone didn’t know couldn’t hurt them, but in Harry’s case, it was the complete opposite. What Harry didn’t know _did_ hurt him.

* * *

 Louis was the first one to hear it.

It all started when the birds around them had fallen into a sudden silence. Then what came second was the river water that danced along the rocks. The water slowly filed into Louis' flask, although halfway through filling his bottle, it began to sound like the river itself had slowed down, almost as if someone had turned the volume to a silent hum instead.

The warrior beside him who was beginning to bend down to cup some water into his palm seemed to be in a trance of slow motion, and from far away, Louis heard the sound of leaves rustling in an abnormal manner. He furrowed his eyebrows as he picked his head up to scan the area in front of him and behind him. 

Louis turned quickly to tap at the warrior beside him, his head thrown back to drink the water dripping from his cupped palm. However, when there was no sign of alertness dressing the man's face, he retreated his arm back as he realized with a swift scan that none of the other warriors would be able to hear from that far away. They didn't have heightened sense like he did, but he knew who did.

As soon as Louis turned his head to lock gazes with Harry, his blue eyes wide in alert as he tried to mentally beacon the situation, Harry's eyes began to fade into a darker storm as he transferred his gaze towards the nearby bushes. 

"Weapons!" Harry roared loudly, the echo of his voice dancing throughout the trees that surrounding them.

Louis was quick to place his flask in his pouch as he picked himself up to stand with his bow and arrow ready. His finger gripped an arrow in the string of his bow as he silently waited for something to emerge from the bushes around him. He tuned his ears in to decipher what direction the running footsteps of their adversaries were coming from and depending on the three sixty resonance, Louis could tell that they were closing in on them from all directions.

Werewolves.

At this point in time, all the warriors were stood tall with their chest puffed out and their weapons drawn with pride and bravery. The smell of the Werewolves grew stronger and stronger at almost every passing second; it grew so strong that it stung Louis' nostrils in a peculiar way. From the corner of his eye, he saw Harry standing with his chest out and sword drawn, ready for any sudden movement to occur.

And there it was. The snap of a twig, the drift of a bush, the crinkling of leaves.

It didn't take long for a large blonde Alpha to bust through a large patch of bushes and dart towards the closest warrior he could get his hands on. As soon as he entered, the amount of Werewolves had doubled around them. First it was three, then it grew to six, and Louis began to lose count as one by one flung themselves out from the bushes and towards the warriors.

Louis pivoted in his spot by the water as he watched Harry easily beheaded a surprised Alpha with one quick swipe of his sword, and in the process, managed to spray blood all across the front of his clothing.

"Louis!"

The Omega quickly turned to face the course from where his name had been called and managed to catch a glimpse in Brandy's direction. Three Alphas had appeared from the treeline and were set in a brisk run towards Brandy, causing panic to stir in Louis' throat as he darted towards his friend.

He drew his bow to be eye level and squinted to pinpoint his shot, and once he released his arrow, it drove straight into one of the Alphas chest and caused him to collapse at impact. He readied another arrow as soon as the other was midair; however, he found himself skidding his shoes across the ground as four Alphas had advanced on him from the nearby shrubbery.

" _Back off_ ," Louis warned loud enough as he lifted his bow to point directly at one of the Alphas. It didn't do much, however, since there were still three more Alphas surrounding him that could easily charge him if he were to take the fourth down. "Take a step back. _Right now_."

They all snickered in unison as they watched the Omega's every move. From the taunting in their laughs, Louis grew agitated at the fact that he wasn't being taken seriously by any of them. They all continued to laugh amongst each other until Louis had released his arrow, causing it to impale one of the Alphas in their throat. As soon as the move had been made, he hurried to replace an arrow into the string before they could advance. But as soon as Louis had reached behind him to retrieve another arrow, one of the Alphas had ran forward and wrapped his arms around Louis' torso to tackle him.

Louis hit the ground with a thud, the impact almost taking the wind from right out of him as the back of his head hit the hard, rocky surface. The sudden force of a large body sitting on top of him made it harder for him to gather any air back, yet through the struggle, Louis caught the motion of the man's hands that were currently reaching for his throat. Despite the large mass atop him, he managed to grab an arrow that had fallen from his case and drive it straight into the Alphas right eye socket.

Once the damage was done, the Alpha had immediately fallen onto his side while clutching his eye. The arrow was sticking from his covered up wound as a trail of blood began to trail down his cheek, and his screaming made Louis cover his ears from the sensitive hearing he had. There was no time to stand up or grab any arrows as a third Alpha had thrown himself at Louis.

He braced for impact by clenching his teeth and tensing his muscles, but a swinging sword had beheaded the man before he could get any closer.

Thank the lord for Harry.

Harry held his sword straight out to point directly at the fourth Alpha as his other hand helped Louis stand back up onto his two feet. Harry never took his eyes off from the Alpha despite the fighting going on around them, but he didn't need to. No one bothered to even come near Harry's vicinity unless they accidentally flung themselves at him in a rage of anger. Even then, their anger would be replaced by shock and before they knew it, there was no turning back.

Louis wiped his hand on his pants from any traces of blood as he found himself balancing on his two feet. The Alpha had his hands up in front of him as he took a step back, his brown eyes showing fear as he stared directly at Harry. From the soft features and smaller frame, Louis could tell the Alpha was younger, most likely in his late teens or early twenties if he had to guess.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged under his breath.

Louis readied himself once again to attack the Werewolf as he waited for Harry's command, yet when it never came and the mass of his Leader turned to race toward the aid of other warriors, Louis trailed his gaze back to the Alpha in front of him. How could he just let him go? This Alpha risked the possibility of retreating back to his own kingdom and telling anyone in command.

But they already knew, didn't they? _They wouldn't have attacked if they didn't_ , Louis thought. 

"Louis!"

He didn't turn to see what Harry wanted as he shouted his name. He just stood motionless and watched as the younger Alpha scurried back into the nearby shrubbery.

And in return, Louis followed.

"Louis!" Harry continued to shout at him as he ran. " _Louis get back here_!"

Louis was too stubborn to listen. He was doing what he thought was best for his pack, and he didn't stop running until he had the Alpha in between his own two hands. And once Harry's worried voice quickly drained away behind them and Louis ran farther out into the dense woods, he began to worry on whether he should stop to go back or continue on with his mission. 

But he had a strong gut feeling to keep following the Alpha. 

 _Don't stop. Not yet_. 

However, when the Alpha heeled in front of a small cave that was covered from head to toe in dangling vines and overgrown moss, Louis skidded to a stop as well. The silence between them was filled with thick tension and curiosity as they both furrowed their eyebrows in wonder to what the other's actions were going to be. Louis drew his arm back behind him for any extra arrows, yet once he realized that he had none left from spilling them while being tackled minutes before, he dropped the bow next to him and took a few steps forward to confront the Alpha.

And when he did, the Alpha seemed to slump their shoulders in defeat and motioned to the cave with a nudge of his head, confusing Louis nonetheless.

"Follow me," the Alpha sent a timid glare as he turned to run into the cave, and despite Louis mumbling about how ridiculous the situation was, he followed along. Something in his mind and gut told him not to fear this man.

_Come on. Keep going. You're almost there._

"Look, I don't know who you are, but yo-" Louis' breath hitched in his throat as he promptly paused in his steps.

There he was. Right in front of him.

Mr. Gilborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels good to be back.


End file.
